DCHS Awards 2023 Graduate with American Red Cross Sickle Cell Fighter Scholarship
Posted on 12/04/2023
Douglas County High School graduate Consuela Borders received a special surprise just before the holidays, thanks to the American Red Cross Sickle Cell Fighter High School Scholarship Program. The scholarship program that empowers youth to help patients with sickle cell disease awarded DCHS a $5,000 scholarship for one deserving student during the 2022-2023 school year.
With a goal to help sickle cell patients by diversifying the blood supply, the program recognizes the top ten high schools in the country that host at least one blood drive and collects the most productive units from Black or African American donors.
The collaboration between Douglas County Health Occupational teacher Yvonne Flemister and the generous contributions from students and staff played a significant role in DCHS successfully reaching its blood drive goal. CTAE Health Occupation Teacher Georgia Thomasson was grateful to learn more about the sickle cell awareness program. "I was excited to stand in for Ms. Flemister by learning more about the Sickle Cell Initiative at the American Red Cross. Hearing real stories about why the American Red Cross started this program was truly inspiring and I am happy to continue these efforts at Douglas County High School," she said.
In order for students to receive the award, they must be enrolled as a high school student at an accredited state educational facility. The scholarship must be used to continue education at an accredited school. In addition, students are to be actively engaged in supporting the Red Cross sickle cell initiative by helping inspire members of the Black community to give blood.
Although Borders is a current full-time Nursing student at the University of West Georgia, the DCHS alumna also works part-time at Apollo Occupational Health in Villa Rica. She expressed heartfelt appreciation for receiving the notable award. "You will never know how appreciative I am to have been awarded the scholarship. It will be a tremendous help with books and other academic needs, and couldn't have come at a better time."
Statistics suggest an estimated 100,000 people have sickle cell disease. Most are of African descent, requiring regular blood transfusions to help manage their condition.