SICKLE CELL AWARENESS MONTH

As we wrap up Sickle Cell Awareness month, here are a few facts about Sickle Cell Diseases and a few things you can do to prepare yourself and/or help:

  • About 1 in 13 African Americans carry the sickle cell trait, and many do not know they have it. • An estimated 100,000 people in the U.S. have SCD.
  • Approximately 2,000 babies are born with SCD annually in the U.S.
  • People of many ethnic backgrounds can have SCD.
  • Latinos have the second most common incidence in the U.S.

What can sickle cell cause?

  • Chronic severe and unpredictable pain
  • Anemia
  • Frequent infections
  • Swelling in extremities
  • Fatigue
  • Delayed growth
  • Vision problems/blindness
  • Lung tissue damage
  • Kidney disease
  • Stroke
  • Shortened life expectancy
  • Damage to hip joint

So what can you do?

  • Donate blood to support transfusions.
  • Advocate for better treatment, education, and research.
  • Educate others about sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait.
  • Get tested for sickle cell trait if you are of African descent and do not know your status. • Support SCDAA as we search for a universal cure.