You see people every day. On the train, going shopping, out to eat, just taking pleasure in life. You would never know just by glancing at someone to say “oh, he has Sickle Cell.” However the reality of the matter is that over 72,000 people are affected by the disease in the US while millions suffer complications from it. Statistics show that 1 in every 500 African American children that is born have the disease. They also show that 1 in 12 posses the Trait.
What is the Sickle Cell Disease? Sickle Cell Disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Unlike normal red blood cells that are round like disc, these blood cells are crescent shape forming a sickle figure (hence the name Sickle Cell.) Hemogolbin located in the cell is a substance in which brings oxygen inside the cell. The smallest change in this substance causes the hemoglobin to form long rods in the red cell when it releases oxygen, causing the shape to sickle. Red blood cells move through small blood tubes in your body to distribute oxygen. When the cells are sickle, they become hard and sticky clogging the passage and breaks apart.
Some results of this include but are not limited to:
- pain episodes
- increased infections
- bone damage
- painful erections in men (priapism)
- low red blood cell counts (anemia)
- delayed growth
These are the hard facing facts and the actuality that people of this disease will deal with for the rest of their lives. As my good friend Jeffrey would say “I might have this disease but I’m not dead and I’m not sick every day. I’m still going to live life.” To help support people with Sickle cell walk with them on Saturday, September 24th, 2011 as they take a stand against a disease that will not keeping them from living. For More information about this walk or to learn more about the Sickle Cell disease visit thi website:
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