Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin

1017 the truth is truth in the morning with Homer blow and Bailey Coleman And we have special guests in studio with us this morning from versity.

We've got Kristen Harris.

I said that right, right?

All right.

Oh, is your mic on?

Okay, we got you guys.

Press on.

Okay.

Right.

Kristen Harris.

Barbara Bell and James Griffin.

Good morning, everybody.

Good morning, guys.

So you all have a summit coming up.

We do.

We have a sickle cell summit coming up at the end of the month next Friday, the 25th at Thrive on King from one to four.

So September sickle cell awareness month.

In the word out.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

So sickle cell.

Mm hmm.

is something that affects mostly people of color, right?

Correct.

Oh, no, you got to scoot into your mic.

We got to get that voice on.

I can tell.

That's a beautiful voice.

There we go.

Okay, well, I repeat what you said.

Brown and

black

people.

Brown and black people.

So how did we get the pleasure of being the majority in this particular disease?

Well, yeah,

it's passed down through trait, but coming from African being African descended Malaria the higher presence of malaria sickle cell having that trait gene protect the people from getting malaria So it was beneficial over there, but in the US where we don't have a higher prevalence of malaria then When you get two parents together two people together who have that gene is passed down to a child and that's how we ended up with it.

So

Rooted back to history.

So do both parents have to have the gene in order for the child to get it?

They do and every pregnancy is a 25% chance if both parents have the sickle cell gene that a child will have sickle cell

Okay, so is it possible for one parent just to have the gene and the child get it?

No both both parents have to get it because each parent passes on a set of genes and that makes up sickle cell Wow parents pass it down.

Okay

Okay, very interesting.

So

you may have heard of it as sickle cell trait.

Right.

Yeah.

So that's the gene that he's talking about.

Okay.

So both parents have that sickle cell trait.

That's past.

Yeah.

Okay.

And one of the things with that when I know so many people that are living with sickle cell and know a lot of people who passed away from sickle cell and in knowing that and knowing how, how that works, is it

Familiar like some diseases that people may have where you can be like you could have the trait but not necessarily pass it on No, you have to have that trait gene to pass it on But I'm saying are there some people that are born that even though their parents may have it but they don't end up showing signs of having the sickle cell trait

Oh, yeah, that's that's true.

Yeah, that's that's that's where I was going because I know a lot of people like what my baby don't have it, right?

You don't understand they get tested How soon should people get tested?

Is it something that you can find right away?

Or is it something that?

After you continue to grow then you kind of learn that oh something isn't feeling right

yet No, the best practice is to get it tested when a baby is born.

So newborn screening

It's on the registry list now, so every baby born here in Wisconsin will get tested and screened for a sickle cell trait.

Okay.

Christian, for someone who has heard of sickle cell disease but doesn't know much about it, why is this again an important community health conversation?

And we need people to come out because oftentimes people hear certain things about different summits or health fairs and

they don't end up attending

right

like they should.

But yet they got family members and friends that may be battling with sickle cell.

So yeah.

And how would you describe that for somebody who hasn't heard about it and doesn't know much about it and why it's so important to have a conversation?

Yeah, I think for us at VersaD, you know, September, I said a sickle cell awareness month,

but

it's a disease that isn't talked about a lot.

You don't see commercials.

You don't see

TV shows around it.

You don't see billboards, all the things that you may see for another disease, which is sickle cell is just as important to highlight.

So adversity, we are a blood center.

So sickle cell is a blood disorder, blood disease.

So we're taking it upon ourselves to have a sickle cell summit.

Where we're going to educate not only just community members,

but

those living with sickle cell clinical Doctors nurses who work with those living with sickle cell the caregivers for people who are taking care of those living with sickle cell because that's a toll too and just talk about the overall disease we're gonna have some of our Researchers that are doing the research around sickle cell disease from versity will have some doctors who actually treat those living with sickle cell disease from children's speaking about

their experience and what they see in the clinics.

And then we'll also have some sickle cell warriors, people living with sickle cell that'll be speaking on the panel to talk about their experience.

So how does sickle cell affect family and friends?

That's a loaded question.

I can let James.

Well, just living with sickle cell disease, it affects the family because it's something that the child is always in pain or may have daily pain or go through pain.

And so.

those parents have to take care of that child and take their child to the hospital and people don't understand the amount of effort it takes to take care of a child with sickle cell and the parents usually have to end up not working because the child has either chronic pain all the time or it's just constantly up and down and in and out of pain and so it makes it hard for a parent to work.

Growing up my mother had to quit her job just so she could take care of me because as a

child I was in

the hospital so much.

Wow.

It was a monthly thing and so

you know, it makes it hard to work and affects the whole parent.

What is a pain like for someone living with sickle cell disease?

What kind of pain is it?

It's excruciating.

So I don't know if you've ever jammed your hand in a door or not.

I could just kind of compare it to that.

The intensity of it is much more greater and on a greater scale.

So to me, it feels like my body's being squeezed in a vice grip or just being hit with like a baseball bat.

It's just that painful that

You can't do anything about it, but take pain medications

like

morphine and hope that works.

If

not, then

you go to the hospital and they give you

more

pain medication and IV fluids.

Okay.

And we, uh, and for those who are listening again, we're joined by versity and James Griffin, the brother that we are speaking with, uh, he's living with sickle cell disease since childhood.

So it's.

Great to have somebody in here that can really talk about what those crisis are, are like, because he lives it.

Right.

Um, how, you know, to know that you're with adversity, like today, what would happen right now if you were to go into a crisis?

What, what, what, what is that real life, real time?

Because I know some people, as you were saying that every moment of the day, sometimes.

It's a challenge, but we see some of these people and they be at work and it's like you having a crisis, but you know, but you still working so Talk about that part because there's a lot of people trust me that I know that are living with sickle cell like you

Yeah, over time you learn how to manage it.

So it's different pain levels.

So if you can have pain every day, but some pain is just Not a variable.

Yeah, it's not as string with us other pain is so

it can come on gradually and then just snowball into an effect where one minute you can be fine and then something can trigger

it like a cold weather or just

humidity or just even like strenuous workouts so

that can come

on and that can lead you to have to have more pain and then you know that's when it gets intense and you have to do something about it and you leave work and you know go get treated.

What types of challenges?

Have you faced living with sickle cell in your family?

What what challenges has that caused for them?

I would just say just being the only one living with sickle cell in my family Just feeling like I was alone But I've always had to support of my family and so they had to either start what they were doing to check on me help me out Give me to the hospital pick up prescriptions.

I need it

So it's it affects the whole family and that's something that people don't understand about the disease It's

not just like it's one

person me going through it.

It's a whole family because it creates You know a lot of attention that

sickle cell

causes because you know the pain is unbearable You always have to watch out and understand and

make sure that I'm good

That

that brings up another interesting question which kind of I talked about a little bit earlier

So you said, you know, your family.

So are you our only child?

Yeah, I'm one of four children and only child in my family to

have.

Yeah.

So that's kind of like where I was going.

Like does it skip?

You know what I'm saying?

Like, like, you know, how is that?

But do your other siblings have the trait?

Some have the trait and then none have have anything.

OK.

And so I want to go back to what I said about the newborn screen.

I want to make sure that I say it correctly.

They actually test for sickle cell disease.

Okay.

The trade

has to be going through the hospital and you have to ask the doctor and request for it.

And it's something called electrophoresis where they can easily just like a finger poke.

Okay.

So that's how people find out.

So how did you and your family find out that you had sickle cell and was it at an early age or?

Yeah,

it was at an early age.

So I was about two years old and I was playing across the hall from my parents.

And all of a sudden, I let out a loud scream.

And when my mother went to check on me, she noticed

my hand.

It was swollen and

puffy.

And in that moment, she had to take me to the hospital because there was no evidence of anything that

I've had

done to make my hands swell up.

And she couldn't calm me down.

And so I was taken to the hospital.

And so that's like the first signs that it's shown.

It's either hand syndrome or put syndrome.

It's a different type of word for it.

But your hands swell up or your feet swell up.

That's the cause for concern and that's usually how it shows in presents in early ages.

Okay.

Okay.

All right, we got to get ready take care of some bills, but we're gonna definitely get a Barb involved here, right?

Because you have a very very important role and It's all coming together, you know, I'm saying collective.

That's that's what we have to do

And we're going to get some great information from Barb when we return.

You're listening to Truth in the Morning on the award-winning 1017 FM.

I'm the legendary Homer Blow along with my girl.

Bailey Coleman.

We'll be black.

Truth in the Morning returns after this on 1017 The Truth, the Truth app, and streaming live on 1017 The Truth on YouTube.

You are listening to truth in the morning on one oh one seven the truth the truth app and streaming live on one oh one seven the truth on YouTube

Welcome black to truth in the morning on the award-winning one oh one seven FM the truth We're broadcasting live from the American Family Insurance studio on the heart of downtown at the Avenue and we only have James with us until

eight thirty so uh barb trust me y'all be here with us for the rest

of the show so

we're gonna get to you and christen uh some more but uh james a lot of the people that i know and you know i'm i'm blessed that i've never been you know diagnosed with the sickle cell trait but they hate to go to the hospital but they because they had to take a lot of morphine and a lot of them say that you know well you it's addictive and so a lot of them smoke weed

I'm talking about like they smoke weed as if it's legal.

You know what

I mean?

But to them, they says that it helps them with the pain or, you know, when they're dealing with a crisis and it kind of calms them down.

Talk about that.

Do you have to take morphine?

Are you afraid of, you know, and because you've been dealing with this from childhood to now, things may have gotten a little bit better for you to be able to manage when you're having a crisis.

But.

Were you a victim of that to where it's like a morphine again morphine again, but at the same time it took away the pain

Here we go

Oh for me I Never really got feel like I was gonna become addicted if it's just something that I had to go through with having morphine the second I was out of pain I was able to cut off the

The morphine stop taking it, but I know people like that and they do deal with you mentioned smoking they do deal with it that way because It's just another therapy for them But I would say that it's not wise to smoke because of the oxygen sickle cell effects It's because of a decrease of oxygen and that's why your blood cells sickle and

so

smoking could limit that oxygen that's going to your body and it could cause other things like chest pain So I don't think it's wise to smoke

So I never was one to smoke, but I know it's something that's being studied in and has to be studied about the use of medicinal drugs.

And I think it would be wise for, you know, the oils, people

could use those,

but not smoking.

So now with where where you are after, you know, being obviously born with it and going through it, how is life for you now?

How are you able to because.

We hear that it's uncontrollable, but are there advancements in treatments or medicine that help you to cope better and could help other sickle cell anemia patients cope better?

Yeah, I'm on a medication now.

Hydroxurea that came out in 99, I believe, but just being put on that helped me to stay away from having crisis and just

able

to live a healthy, normal life because.

You know, it works on the body.

It prevents the body from having those crises.

And so it was just something that I tried, and it worked for me, thankfully.

I know other people, everybody is different.

Some people, it doesn't work.

And so they're still looking for ways to treat their pain.

But it's research out there that's being studied, gene therapy.

But unfortunately, everybody won't be able to get that.

And so we have to figure out other avenues.

And I think people have to just really learn.

It's

a learning

process every day living with sickle cell and what works what doesn't

I found

out eating the right foods eating healthy

and also drinking like

a lot of

water I consume a lot of water and Eliminate

all the

junk food the sweets for my diet, so it's bigger

if somebody was to just See you out about and you went into a severe crisis What should we as the public like as a person be like what the hell wrong with him?

What's going on with him?

What should people do or what is the reaction that people can do to try to help someone if they are going through a sickle cell crisis?

I think the first thing is to immediately just take them to the emergency room because you never know what's going on.

It's a lot of complications that can happen from sickle cell like it can cause strokes.

It can cause organ damage, tissue death, bone death.

And so it's important to just take that person immediately to the hospital so they can assess them.

What

is it what does it look like what like what should people be looking for like?

Is there a certain thing like some people you might just be screaming?

You don't understand so like what what is that?

Crisis kind of look like some people may have seen people going through actual crisis and didn't know what the hell it was,

right?

You know I'm saying

yeah Because of the pain people may grab at their arms.

They may grab at their back

or just be screaming, like you said, it's so intense and the intensity of it was the problem.

It affects the body and it's just excruciating itself.

If you see somebody bent over or hard to breathe or just grabbing at their arms, legs, or just screaming in pain, I'm having pain, then I think that's when we can address them and just take them away to the hospital or even call 911.

Okay,

Bailey?

So let's dial back a little bit because you were talking about how you changed your diet.

What's a good sort of barometer on the diet?

What's things are you eating now that you didn't eat before?

I know you said you had you're taking in more water

Yeah, a lot of few some vegetables and I cut out the fried foods.

So the chicken is baked now just a lot of fish and so I just think like

Anything that's water because the water hydrates your body and keeps sales from sticking together and that's kind of where you get those crisis because it creates blockages when the sales stick together.

And so I just think anything that's heavy in water is good for you.

Okay.

Okay.

So watermelon, cantaloupe, those kinds of

things.

Okay.

Okay.

Very good.

Very good.

Yeah.

I know people are at

They're spinning in their cars right now, because they're not in your cars, but you know what I mean.

But they're going, no fried foods, what?

I got

to have

me a piece of fried chicken.

You know what?

You

know what, y'all?

You're going to be all right.

We've got Andy on the Truth Call in lines, and maybe he has a question that you may be able to help him with, James.

Andy, great morning.

Love you.

Appreciate you.

You hear the conversation.

We are joined by Vercity here in the studio talking about the Sickle Cell Anemia Summit that will be coming up.

And what's your truth?

What's your question?

Okay.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay.

Well, my truth is, first of all, Sickle Cell, it takes me back.

Well, most recently, I just lost a cousin, first cousin to sick of disease in April.

The doctor told the family he wouldn't live to be maybe 25, but he lived to be 56, able to see kids and grandkids.

And so I'm grateful for that.

Also, I worked at a hospital some years ago, and I remember this young lady would come in young lady.

about in her 20s, and she has tic-a-fail disease, and they would barely treat her, and they would say, oh, she's just a drug seeker, and that just really helped me to my heart, you know.

So I think more attention and training needs to be done to these doctors and nurses and everything to be more enlightened about what these people go through, because that was just terrible.

And also, I know a family, the lady had three boys, and all the boys had tickle cells, and they died at a young age in their 20s.

Now, is this something that's predominantly, maybe with males, more so than females?

All right, thank you for that question.

We'll have James anywhere, Kristen or Barb speak on that.

Thank you for your call.

I'm

not worried about your mortality because of having sickle cell.

No, I just live life.

I just take everything day to time.

I just I just don't even think about it.

I know they place limits on how long you live, but I don't go by that.

I go by my God.

And so I just worry about living life daily.

Mm-hmm.

But but I want to say something about that because that's what we hear.

She mentioned the stigma about going to the hospital.

And this is why some people fight and try to hold off as long as possible because it is stigma since sickle cell effects, African-Americans, people of African descent.

And we're not being treated by our own people.

We do face that heavy level of racism within the medical care.

We have

to advocate for ourselves just to get back and get

seen.

And so

it creates another added barrier to our treatment.

We are considered drug seekers.

We're considered frequent fliers, always coming into the hospital.

We're considered non-compliant and just bad patients.

And so it's definitely a misunderstanding of people with sickle cell.

And I think because of the negative images and stereotypes that they have on black people, as

a

whole, it affects people when it comes to treatment.

And so that's why we get those stigmas.

So what is that like?

And I know we gotta go to break, but what is that like real quick?

When you have a primary care doctor that understands everything and then you just go back and forth to the hospital when it's bad or how's that look?

Yeah, so I have a primary care watches the numbers watches over me prescribes the medication, but when the pain happens after work hours, you know, I have to be treated an emergency room and

And so these people are not familiar with people with

sickle cell.

And so

they run their emergency room the way they want

to run it.

And it's up to them.

The primary doctor has no say

in

how they treat you.

And so you're seeing a lot of different doctors, even the nurses have control

of

what pain medications

to give you the amount.

And so

that's what the trouble comes

in and to effect.

And so it's very hard

on a person with sickle cell.

And it's actually disheartening.

It makes people want to give up because they feel like.

If I'm in here and I'm in this pain, I'm being judged for the condition that I was born with, which I didn't choose.

And I can't do anything

about it.

And the people on the front line aren't treating me, the nurses, the doctors.

Then why should I even keep going on?

So it's the mental battle.

So before we let you go, because we know James Griffin will have to leave when we go to our break.

Why is it important for people to come to the sickle cell summit?

It's important to continue to learn about sickle cell.

People think sickle cell has gone away.

We're still dealing with the same issues.

Sickle cell is still affecting us as people, African descent.

And so it's important to get the information, get the knowledge, and you as a person can help advocate for us, because the more voices we have, the more effect change we can make together, and we're stronger together.

And so it's important to come out and just

learn and

understand about sickle cell.

And this will be for everybody.

So, you know, there are children that should be there if you have a child that has sickle cell, family members and friends that don't understand it and can look out for the signs that James has talked about.

So it's important that everybody comes out.

We got to get ready to take care of some bills.

James Griffin, thank you very much.

Thank you, James.

But joining us on Truth in the Morning, we still got Bart, we still got Kristen.

Yes.

We got to take care of these bills, and we going to put them to work.

Yes.

Because we got questions.

Yes.

And we need to get your answers.

And if you have a question or something that you'd like to talk about, Truth Nation 833-212-1017 will be black.

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Bailey, we're black.

And we're joined by Varsity.

Yes.

All right.

So we got to bring her.

Oh, absolutely.

You know, she's got a wealth of knowledge as well.

And because I was just thinking about, you know, there's different challenges that some of the patients.

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

So have and we need to know what are some of the challenges in your line of work, Barb, that you've seen that patients and families face outside of the doctor's office.

Mm hmm.

Well, I've seen situations where.

just as any of us, utility, financial, school, employment, where a parent has to quit working to take care of their child, but there's no income coming in to supplement that.

Or if the parent has medical concerns for themselves, they have to focus on that child.

If there's multiple children in a home, school clothing.

school issues, community issues.

You know, these are barriers that the caregivers have to carry and deal with on a daily basis.

And so where I come in with that, once we come in contact, because anyone that has social determinant health needs to find resources within the community to support their

needs.

Okay.

So you're a community health worker.

So you help them.

their time of need when when things are going wrong and they can't work because they got to take care of their child That's amazing

You know there's a plan in place I've worked with children for over 30 something years.

Okay, and my last five years was within the sickle cell clinic and there's a 504 plan that

parents have, you know, they can submit to their employer, you know, making them aware that they have a child is dealing with this chronic illness.

Okay.

And so that too can be various because even the schools sometimes don't recognize the needs that the child has because they are living with sickle cell.

I was just speaking with a child parent the other day and she was sharing with me that her son feels like he's picked on and picked out because of the fact that he's living with sickle cell.

Children feel like you know, he's contagious and they can get it from him and rather than understanding that they make fun of

Wow

10 years of age you shouldn't have to deal with that.

No,

you shouldn't have to deal with that

So you work with schools to kind of let them know how to Handle somebody who's other children who may do things like that

correct education is the best resource to get anyone to come to an understanding what they're dealing

with how

How does MPS receive y'all being able to come in to talk to the children about sickle cell?

Because again, sometimes not every child really knows what it is that they're going through.

Their parents may know, but they may not really understand.

And the message that you just gave about being picked on and thinking, oh, you can get it just because you.

See them or know the child or whatever right?

Are they do they allow you to go into the schools to kind of like speak on it on different occasions just so the students can Learn and even some of the staff right you don't understand because we can all be naive to it because if it doesn't affect us then it doesn't matter

right

So how is that relationship with being able to go into any of school system to talk about it to get educate people?

Well, there are schools that allow you to come in and in my previous role where we will go in and talk with the administrators, the teachers, to bring an understanding to school nurses, to help bring an understanding to what this child is living with and dealing with.

What about the students?

The students, we have right now with Bursity, the street teams,

Cameron

White that goes into the school and speak with the teachers and the students in regards to situations and circumstances that.

they're dealing with.

Yeah, because I think that's so important because again, like I say, I can just imagine what some of the children are going through.

And then when they're going through a crisis all of a sudden, because they could come on at any time.

And then other children just be like, oh, like, you know, see, I told you, don't touch him and all of that.

The ignorance that we right in these situations.

So right, I'm happy to hear that.

I'm happy to hear that.

What are some other ways that you bridge the gap with

families and the kids.

This is like a ministry to me.

When I meet with families, I listen.

And that's very important to listen, not only to the caregiver, but to that child.

And once you gain their trust, you're able to work together and come to resolutions.

Again, like I said, it's like a ministry for me to listen and find out where I can fit in to help support them.

Okay.

In their daily

living.

Now, uh, just a reminder for people again, we have Vercity in the studio with us from the Vercity Blood Center of Wisconsin.

This sickle cell summit that we're talking about sickle cell summit 2026 is taking place on September 25th from one PM to four PM at thrive on King in the neighborhood hall.

2153 North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Drive and and it is free and and you need to come out to be informed if you have sick of cell it would be great for you to come out because It's a summit and you may be able to get up and tell your truth in

how hard it may have been to get your family to understand what it is.

Uh, uh, your, your husband or your wife or, you know, uh, just your, your mate, whoever it may be to better get an understanding of what it is and, and how, you know, you're going through things.

So September 25th, 1pm to 4pm at thrive on King.

It is the Vercity Blood Center of Wisconsin Sickle Cell Summit 2026.

So we want you to make sure you come out again.

It's free.

So 2153 North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Drive and Vercity is also located inside of the Thrive on King.

But it is important people.

We often talk about and I say this all the time of things that we don't have and they need more of this.

They need more of that.

This is a perfect chance for you to come out.

and learn the information, ask the hard questions, because that's what it's about.

That's

what it's about.

You'll have people there that can answer an array of questions or situations that you may have.

You wonder, well, where can I go to get this?

Where can I go?

And Vercity Blood Center of Wisconsin will be able to answer those questions and direct you into the right area.

kill some of those myths.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's a big thing.

Christian.

That's the thing.

Yeah, I was gonna say for you.

Yeah.

I would

just add to Homer to that is on the 25th we are asking people to RSVP.

So we

have an Eventbrite Bursity Sickle Cell Summit.

So if you go on Eventbrite, just RSVP, we're gonna have food, giveaways, all the things we just want to make sure we're tracking people.

Um, but also at the summit, our donor center, which is called versity on King will be open during that time too.

So if you want to donate,

you can

donate and then we'll also have our blood typing team there.

Okay.

So that's where you can learn your blood type in a matter of five minutes.

A lot of

people walking around don't even know their blood

type.

Yeah.

So you can learn your blood type and you can also learn if you have the RO antigen.

So the RO antigen.

So

you may be O positive, but 50% of blacks and African Americans have this RO antigen in your blood.

And that is the blood that goes to people living with sickle cell disease because it makes for the smoothest transfusion.

Okay, so at diversity on King location We try to host a lot of blood typing events because that neighborhood I mean right on MLK Drive A lot of black folks living in that neighborhood

Yeah,

we do find that there are a lot of RO donors in that specific neighborhood So we need people to come out learn your blood type potentially learn if you're a RO donor and then hopefully donate Because then we'll have that blood on site for those living with sickle cell disease.

So that's

another piece so

Oh,

because blood transfusion is really a big situation for those people who are living with sickle cell.

Yeah, they often have to come in and get a blood transfusion.

That's what it is.

Yeah.

So that's those crises that

that that blood.

And so if the hospitals don't have the blood on hand, then what do we do?

Yeah, we have to make sure we have enough blood in these hospitals that are our role for those living with sickle cell.

So, Kristen, what what's the goal for all of this?

the summit yes not only the seven but for uh versity on king

oh versity on king um we've been open now for two years okay and so before

We had a presence in these neighborhoods.

So in the Brownsville neighborhood, but it was at a school or a church.

We'd

have a

mobile blood drive.

Okay.

But then it's like, if I missed the blood drive at my church, I forgot about versity.

I forgot about blood donation.

Right.

Um, in black and brown communities, we're not really being raised to go donate blood.

You know,

it's like, I

don't trust needles.

What's going on?

So us being in this community and in this neighborhood as a fixed donor center is saying, come.

on a regular basis, come donate with us.

Don't

worry

about if you miss it at your church or your blood drive at your school or your son's school, child's school.

We're here.

Get to

know our phlebotomists.

So we host tours.

We allow students to come in and just get to see the process of donating blood.

We allow organizations to take over our donor center and maybe one person donates and then five more people get in the chair because they saw their friend, family member do it.

So just a lot of education in this building around.

Just building trust.

You know,

we're not necessarily a hospital clinic, but we are a part of health care and we do have needles and we're in a black community.

And so there's a lot of mistrust.

There's a lot of I've seen Barb.

We've been out and people like, no, mess with needles.

No, I don't do that.

And people come in with all kind of tattoos.

Right.

They mess with

some.

The goal and I would mention too, Vercity on King is the only donor center in the country of the nation inside of a community resource hub.

So

there's a lot of eyes on Vercity from a blood perspective.

you know, from Washington just to see how things go with us being in this community resource hub and what we can accomplish here.

So all right, we gotta get ready to take care of another set of bills.

You're listening to Truth in the Morning on the award-winning 1017 FM The Truth.

Pleased to be joined by Vercity.

Of course, I got some questions about the blood situation when we return.

We'll be black.

Don't touch that dial truth in the morning will be right back on 101 7 the truth the truth app and streaming live on 101 7 the truth on YouTube You are listening to truth in the morning on 101 7 the truth the truth app and streaming live on 101 7 the truth on YouTube

Welcome black truth nation

I'm the legendary Homer blow along with my girl

Bailey Coleman

and we're joined by diversity blood center of Wisconsin.

We've got from the thrive on King location.

Yes.

We've got Barb.

We've got Kristen and we had James with us earlier.

James had to leave.

Yeah.

But we good.

That's that part.

Shout out to James.

Yeah.

Stopping by

that part that part.

The sickle cell summit is coming up.

September 25th, 2026 from 1 p.m.

to 4 p.m.

at Thrive on King in the neighborhood hall 2153 North Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Drive.

Now where can they go to register because you are hoping that people will register to attend the summit?

Yep, so you could go to Eventbrite Vercity Sickle Cell Summit.

Okay, just type it in there.

It's also on Vercity Blood Center Wisconsin on our social media.

We have a flyer with the QR code.

So just scan the QR code there.

Some on YouTube wanted to know.

Versity, have you connected to the national organization and the work that happens nationally?

Yes, we have.

We have researchers, sickle cell researchers at Versity who work very closely with national and they kind of relay that information to our team.

So we don't necessarily directly on the community education side, but the researchers do.

Why again because you guys went over this before but it bears repeating why blood donation is so important

It saves lives I mean anything you can think of a tragedy shooting stabbing complications with labor cancer patients sickle cell people living with sickle cell disease

the list goes on and on.

So

it's our people.

We don't really even want to think about it.

Now, I remember being a young girl and my mom's saying to me, oh, no, because, you know, we would have this blood drive at school all

the

time.

Now, I wouldn't.

I was out in the suburbs.

I ain't gonna lie.

It was a shape, shape.

It's okay.

But she would always say, no, you need to wait if.

you know, somebody in the family needs it, then you can donate, but not this just random stuff.

Nope.

Nope.

And I never like was like, I was mad cause I wanted to do it just cause I wanted to be with my friends, right?

But I never said, well, why not?

But I think she would have probably just said, just, you know, because later on it became.

I was actually the only person that could donate to my mother.

I had to do platelets, the blood, the whole deal because she was sick.

She had cancer.

And so my siblings weren't able to because they were sick and all kinds of stuff going on.

So, you know, what's the difference between me giving then and me just giving at random?

Nothing, right?

No.

You know,

there's no difference.

Yeah,

but you know, I want to say that One pint of your blood can save three lives.

There

you go.

If you are organic tissue donor, you can save eight lives.

Wow.

Here's what I'm gonna say, right?

Here's my throat out there.

It's my throat out there.

Y'all ready?

Okay, so can you please because I believe that there are a lot of people that really get this confused.

Oh, I get blood every week.

I go to the plasma center.

Please.

Let's let's talk about it.

It's some people.

Yeah, I don't need blood.

I think twice a week or half alone.

Yeah, do it or whatever.

So please break down.

Uh-huh.

The difference between people who are at a plasma center and an actual blood center.

They show up at our diversity on King location.

Sometimes like, I want to give plasma.

How much you guys pay?

It's a totally different experience.

They're literally, you're going to a plasma center, you're getting money and they can use that plasma for makeup products, testing who knows what.

That's it.

That doesn't go to hospitals, saving lives, none of that.

When you donate blood.

We, Vercity, give blood to all the hospitals in Wisconsin.

So if you're donating in Wisconsin, your blood is saving lives in Wisconsin.

Is there still a shortage?

Oftentimes I hear about the shortage of blood donations, and it's also why I see a lot of organizations partnering with Vercity to say, hey, you can do it at my location.

You can do it at my location.

Is there a shortage?

And how important is it?

Because

You know, it's a lot of people that are getting shot in our community.

And in those victims, you know, that blood, if it's not there, what what's next?

So right now we're OK.

So

there

are times where we have like SOS is where we're like, we need blood now.

The end of the year, we start to push it because people is getting cold.

They don't want to come out as much.

People are with family vacations, things like that.

Summer can be a little difficult sometimes, too.

with the kiddos out.

So we do a lot of blood drives at high schools.

So in schools out, family vacations.

But yeah, the colder months and sometimes the summer obviously with people traveling.

But yeah, people are constantly going through something.

So I know years ago when that guy ran his car through the Brookfield parade, everybody ran to go give blood.

Right.

But

what people don't understand is that's great.

If we could get that energy all the time.

But that blood still has to be tested.

It has to go through a process.

We don't just take your blood and give it to Bailey to dark tomorrow.

You

know, so

I think people are like, how can I help?

How can I help when something bad happens?

But I try to tell people something bad is happening every day, unfortunately.

So we need that energy every day.

I'm going to yield my portion of my closing because I want Barb and you, Kristen, to kind of sum it up.

Again, the importance of what each of you do and why it's important people also come to the Sickle Cell Summit 2026.

I'd like to say that it's important for me when I'm engaging with people in the community to understand that there is a help.

You know, I tell people I don't have a magic wand, but I'm willing to work with you if you work with me.

There's needs for transportation, food, clothing, housing, employment, you know, then we're going to get you connected to those resources.

And so I am that, I am that one that's seeking out, you know, what's available, what's that I can share with the community.

My service is not just to people living with sickle cell, but it's for the community.

I am here to work with you and for you.

Chris.

I would just say education and awareness.

I think again, you know, I've been with diversity almost four years.

I knew what sickle cell kind of was, but now being in this role and just working closer with James.

It needs to be talked about, you know, beyond September.

So we're taking September to take this time.

We have several vendors that are going to be actually tabling at this event.

And when we mentioned it, we had people were coming us from all different organizations.

Can we table?

Can we meet people?

Can we talk about sickle sale?

We want to know more.

So there is the need.

And so I just want to get people educated.

I want people to learn their blood type.

I want us black and brown people to understand we need to donate, you know, we we need to start trusting.

We have phlebotomists that work at diversity on King location, who some of them live in the neighborhood.

So they're of their community, you know, they're they're trustworthy.

So we want people to just just donate and get educated.

So

Trust God do good and we'll see you tomorrow morning right here on 101 7 the truth

Welcome to Truth in the Morning on the award-winning 1017 FM.

We are broadcasting live from the American Family Insurance Studio in the heart of downtown at the Avenue.

I am the legendary Homer Blow along with my girl.

Bailey Coleman.

Great morning.

How you doing and feeling, Bailey?

I'm wonderful.

How are you, Homer?

I'm blessed.

I'm blessed, you know.

You don't learn a day.

So we got a hour full of...

special guests that will be in from Bursity in the 8 a.m.

Hour so from 8 a.m.

To 9 a.m.

On Truth in the Morning will be joined by Bursity and you know which is located inside well they have different locations but we know they're have a location inside the thrive on King building

right

so yeah we'll be talking with them there's a sickle cell summit there it's a lot of great things that

uh, versities involved in

it.

Sometimes the

community doesn't know.

So, uh, you're going to be able to find out all the information

that you need, you know, all the things this morning.

But yeah, uh, nurse are in Kawanda.

Great morning.

Love you.

Appreciate you.

Remember, you can watch us on YouTube, uh, at one on one, seven to truth.

While you're there, make sure you hit that like and subscribe.

You

can also check us out on Facebook.

You can watch us on Facebook live and while you're on our Facebook page Make sure you like and follow that page and it's all one-on-one seven the truth.

So, yeah Bailey you had some rain

Yeah, and I just gotta say

It

was a little windy coming in too.

Yeah,

little windy.

Well,

you know

some rain Not nice.

Not cute.

It is September 15th.

I'm

I'm I'm still believing in summertime.

A little bit Indian summer.

That's what they call

it.

So, you know, we still got to get to the 23rd.

Of September.

Yes.

Do you remember?

The 20th.

OK, air 20 fire.

I can't sing, but you know what I'm saying?

You don't remember that that's a classy.

That's just like Papa was a rolling stone It was the you know the third of September that day.

I always remember that was the day Come on these songs are classic Bailey can't act like you don't remember those dates It's so you know people listen to some of those other pop songs and they'll remember the phone

number

Don't even do it.

If you can't remember the 3rd of September, come on.

It was the 3rd of September.

Oh, now we

got it.

That day, I'll always

remember.

OK, OK.

But she was looking at me like,

what the hell are you

talking about?

I'm like,

damn.

Come on now.

I was going to say, baby.

Just me.

Come on now.

Other

people, you could go there.

Right.

I

was going to be like,

right.

That's what I'm going

like.

We know.

We know we have hosted concerts by these people.

By the way, it's the 21st night,

September.

Yeah, I know.

Do you remember?