It’s Sickle Disease Awareness Month!

National Sickle Cell Awareness Month is held every September to raise awareness and attention for sickle cell disease. The ultimate aim is to drive research and treatment options to give those affected by this illness a better quality of life.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood condition that causes red blood cells, which are normally shaped like a doughnut without a hole, to be crescent or sickle-shaped. These sickle-shaped cells don’t last as long as normal blood cells, resulting in lower numbers of red blood cells than normal (anemia). The shape of these cells also makes it difficult for them to pass through small blood vessels; they can clog vessels, reduce blood flow and cause tissue damage. The combination of anemia, clogged vessels and reduced blood flow can cause severe pain and fatigue, as well as tissue and organ damage.  

This is most often discovered at birth during routine newborn screening tests at the hospital. Currently, the only cure for sickle cell disease is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. However, these treatment options come with serious risks, require a close donor match (like a sibling) and are only used in severe cases.