Sagicor Life hosts blood drive for premature babies
Sagicor Life Jamaica has partnered with the Preemie Foundation of Jamaica to host a blood drive on Wednesday, May 15, to provide life-saving support to babies who are born prematurely.
The public is being invited to take part in the blood drive which will run from 9 am to 4 pm at the Sagicor Sigma Run Secretariat at the R. Danny Williams Building in New Kingston.
The blood drive, being administered by the National Blood Transfusion Service, has a goal of acquiring 100 pints of blood, which can benefit up to 800 premature babies.
Executive Vice President, Employee Benefits Division, Sagicor Life, Willard Brown, encouraged the public to join with the Sagicor team members in giving support to the initiative, which is being done in observance of May as Child Month.
“We are proud to be able to partner with the Preemie Foundation on this. This is something that is very meaningful to us and we are happy that Team Sagicor can come together and do this blood drive to help the babies. We are all about wellness and doing what we can to help save lives, starting from the smallest amongst us,” he said.
Founder of the Preemie Foundation of Jamaica, Sereka Sterling, expressed gratitude to Sagicor Life for coming on board.
“This makes us so happy. Anyone who donates one pint of blood is saving the lives of up to eight newborn babies. Every drop counts, and we are so grateful for this support,” she said.
Blood transfusions are typically used in children born prematurely to increase the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen to body tissues, including the brain and heart. It is usually needed in an emergency to replace blood loss from anaemia which could lead to shock or death. Other benefits of blood transfusion in newborns include improved feeding, less respiratory distress, less apnea (where breathing is interrupted), less trauma to the brain, and early discharge from the intensive care unit.
Source: https://www.loopjamaica.com/content/sagicor-life-hosts-blood-drive-premature-babies