Recently, my family’s philanthropic organization, the Cushman Foundation, made its largest donation to the San Diego Blood Bank. This gift was made to support the blood bank’s Precision Blood initiative and help them advance a clinical trial partnership with Rady Children’s Hospital.
Of all the scientific and philanthropic efforts we could have supported, why are we funding research into making blood transfusion matches more accurate?
Having worked as a registered nurse in San Diego for many years, I have seen how blood transfusions can change and often save lives both for critically injured or ill patients undergoing emergency procedures and for chronically transfused patients going through treatment for diseases like leukemia, hemophilia, sickle-cell anemia, and thalassemia, among others. As a fifth-generation San Diegan, I am personally invested in programs that positively impact every corner of our community.
The blood bank’s Precision Blood initiative reflects the right people working together in the right partnership for the right cause. The blood bank has the scientific know-how and the capacity to conduct this research in partnership with a world-class facility, Rady Children’s, and our region’s youth stand to benefit.
Why Precision Blood?
Blood transfusions are part of the standard of care for everything from routine surgeries to treatments for patients experiencing childbirth complications and genetic disorders among other diseases. Studies have shown that up to 44% of chronically transfused patients with disorders like leukemia can potentially develop antibodies that cause their bodies to react against donor blood, causing adverse outcomes and decreasing life expectancy.
The better we can match donor blood to patients, the better their outcomes. The Precision Blood initiative aims to provide better matches for patients nationwide, based on what we now know about blood typing: there are 30 blood groups containing over 300 antigens which impact how well a person will respond to blood transfusions or match with a donor.
By comparison, only two blood groups and three antigens are typically considered for routine transfusion (involving the widely known blood types A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+, and O-). When discovered in the early 20th century, these basic blood types were among the first examples of the rapidly expanding field of precision medicine, which treats patients according to their genetic profile instead of one “average” standard. The Precision Blood initiative is simply building on decades of established scientific innovation that has saved lives.
The Cushman Foundation committed to supporting the Precision Blood initiative after the blood bank announced in April 2023 their intention to raise funds to continue research, increase blood donations for testing, and secure a hospital partner to begin clinical trials. We are proud to say that our support enabled the blood bank to achieve this goal within just four months.
What’s Needed Now
Together with the David C. Copley Foundation, the Cushman Foundation has been able to give a quarter of a million dollars to advance the Precision Blood initiative. Leaders at the Copley Foundation are also offering a matching grant of $67,500 if the blood bank can secure new donations or pledges of the same amount or greater by June 1, 2024. The collective amount will fund another tube sorter machine and additional tube racks, allowing for more blood donations to be analyzed and potentially become part of the clinical trials.
The blood bank also needs more blood donors, particularly those who are Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander to donate regularly, whether at a blood donation center or a mobile blood drive. A diverse donor pool will ensure that the blood bank is able to test a wider variety of blood samples and find better matches for all patients who rely on regular blood transfusions.
Secondly, more businesses and foundations should join us in financially supporting the Precision Blood initiative so that the blood bank and Rady Children’s can continue doing research that will change and save lives.
We invite the San Diego community to join the blood bank in its mission to usher in a new era of medicine through Precision Blood. With the community’s support, we can build a future where transfusion medicine is more personalized and effective, achieving better outcomes for patients and helping them live happier, longer lives. Philanthropy gives the gift of life.
Whether you’re a potential donor or potential partner, I invite you to take a tour of the blood bank’s facilities to educate yourself about the Precision Blood research. As a community, we must work together to support this important life-saving initiative.
Lori Moore is vice president of the Cushman Foundation and a registered nurse. She lives in Scripps Ranch.
