Overflow Church, with the help of Mississippi Blood Services, hosted a blood drive Sunday February 23 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The drive was in honor of Rosalind Anderson Bernoudy, who passed away in 2018 after a long battle with sickle cell.
There was a blood shortage during Rosalind’s last stay in the hospital. If blood was readily available it would have increased her chances of surviving the sickle cell crisis.
The community showed tremendous support for this event, with over 40 people attempting to donate blood. MS Blood Services reported 35 units of blood were collected.
Bernoudy was 31 years old and is survived by her husband, Willie Bernoudy, and their three children. Her parents, Herbert and Deborah Anderson, are members of Overflow Church, and their family organizes this annual blood drive to honor their daughter and raise awareness.
The blood donated Sunday will be used to save lives in a number of different situations. Rosalind’s family has made it their mission to raise awareness on the significance of donating blood. Willie Bernoudy said, “I’m thankful for everyone that participated. This event is a way for my kids to remember and honor their mother and still do something good for somebody else.”
Sickle Cell Disease is a term used for a group of hereditary disorders of the red blood cells, affecting approximately one out of every 400 African-Americans in the United States. According to the MS Sickle Cell Foundation there are approximately 1,000,000 African Americans living in Mississippi, which means there are at least 2,500 African Americans in Mississippi living with sickle cell disease at any one time.
