Runway model, Jourdan Dunn, donated blood for World Sickle Cell Day to raise awareness of the importance and need for blood transfusions – the NHS say they need 250 donations per year to meet demands
As part of World Sickle Cell Day, supermodel Jourdan Dunn gave blood to show support in an effort to encourage London’s Black communities to become blood donors.
The British runway model took to Brixton June 19 to donate to Brixton Blood Donor Centre to help sickle cell research and sufferers, and advocate for more Black-heritage people to join her in donating.
Jourdan is set to become an ambassador for NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), hoping to boost blood stocks after sharing on Instagram that her teen son, Riley, is a sickle cell patient – one of 13,000 in the UK.
The 34-year-old took to Instagram to highlight how individuals with sickle cell rely on blood transfusions in order to live with the condition.
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Sickle cell is a genetic condition that is inherited when a person’s parents both test positive for the crescent-shaped blood cells. This deformation of blood cells can cause intense pain and even lead to organ failure as they create blockages within the bloodstream.
Sickle cell is the fastest growing genetic blood disorder in Britain and is known to overwhelmingly affect Black African and Black Caribbean communities. A shocking result from NHSBT Data found that an average of 250 babies per year are born with the condition in the UK.
As of today, the NHS service needs a huge sum of 16,000 more Black heritage blood donors in 2025 just to meet the growing need for blood transfusions.
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Speaking of her now 15 years old [reword], Jourdan stated that: “As a mother who has seen her child battle sickle cell, I am committed to doing all I can to help him, and the thousands of other people with the condition, have the best chance to live a full and healthy life”.
Before her own blood donation, she stated her reason for returning to the Brixton donor centre, saying: “I’ve come to Brixton to give blood and ask the Black community to register to do the same. By giving an hour of your time, three to four times a year, you can save up to 12 lives – that’s an amazing power you have in your hands”.
She also shared how “incredibly thankful” she was “to the record numbers of Black donors who have given Blood in Brixton and across the country, but as numbers of sickle cell patients increase, so too does the need for more donors to come forward,” she explained.
The NHSBT state that these blood transfusions act as “the first line of defence against the condition” and that research shows those who suffer with the cell condition respond best to Ro type blood – frequently found in Black heritage donors, with 56 percent being more likely to have the Ro blood type compared to a mere 2.4 percent of other ethnicities.
Mark Chambers, the Director of Donor Experience at NHSBT, says: “Blood transfusions to pre-empt sickle cell crises are helping more people live well with the condition, but on average we need 250 donations a year to help them, that’s why it’s vitally important we recruit more Black heritage donors.
“Jourdan’s support, both as an NHS ambassador and a donor will hopefully encourage others to follow her lead and spare an hour of their time to make a lifesaving difference”.
The Brixton Donor Centre is opening its arms today, June 19, for members of the public to test for their blood type via a pinprick test, register to become donors and make a donation. In London, there are 22,000 appointments available right now!
Future Donors can register via the NHSBT app, Blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.