FAIRMONT, W. Va., Feb. 6, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- The FirstEnergy Foundation is granting $25,000 to the Central Appalachian Region of the
American Red Cross to continue its important work in the Mon Power
service area supporting the health and wellness of diverse
community members through the American Red Cross Sickle Cell
Initiative.
The grant will help the Red Cross aid people with sickle cell
disease, the most common genetic blood disease in the U.S., which
affects about 100,000 people, primarily of African descent. As a
group, people with sickle cell disease experience worse health
outcomes compared to patients with other diseases and have access
to fewer health resources. The American Red Cross Sickle Cell
Initiative will improve their quality of life by working to address
health outcome disparities in African American communities.
"We're proud to help the American Red Cross serve those without
access to the treatment they need. The organization's efforts align
with our company's commitment to strengthening low-income and
underserved communities," said Lorna
Wisham, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation.
Beyond the few medications available to treat sickle cell
disease, regular blood transfusions can be crucial to alleviating
its painful and life-threatening symptoms. The closely matched
blood needed by patients with sickle cell disease — which is most
commonly supplied by blood donors who are Black or African American
— is often in short supply. In fact, the Red Cross is currently
only able to provide the most compatible units of blood for people
with sickle cell disease about 50% of the time. While the
percentage of the U.S. population that identifies as Black or
African American is 13.4%, the percentage of blood donors who
identify as Black or African American is less than 3% — a gap that
demands immediate attention.
"We are grateful for the generous grant that will help us
address this health disparity," said Erica
Mani, Red Cross Regional CEO. "The Red Cross's goal is to
triple the number of blood donors who are Black or African American
by the end of 2025, as they have the greatest potential to supply a
compatible blood unit for transfusion for people living with sickle
cell disease."
The FirstEnergy Foundation is funded solely by FirstEnergy Corp.
(NYSE: FE) and provides support to non-profit, tax-exempt health
and human services agencies; educational organizations; cultural
and arts programs and institutions; and civic groups in areas
served by FirstEnergy's 10 electric distribution companies and in
areas where the company conducts business.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and
on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firstenergy-foundation-grants-25-000-to-central-appalachian-region-of-the-american-red-cross-to-support-sickle-cell-initiative-301739604.html
SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.