Sickle Cell Disease is not just a Black Disease. You might be surprised to know that Greeks, Italians, Latin Americans, Caucasian Americans and those from India also suffer from the disease as well and carry the Sickle Cell Trait. According to the Encyclopedia for Genetic disorders and Birth Defects mutation occurs in a gene causing it to be altered or damaged and functions abnormally. After the genetic mutation occurs, the hereditary disease can be passed on to future generations as in the case of Sickle Cell. Initially, Sickle Cell was found in areas where Malaria was common. If a person had a single Sickle Cell Trait the parasite that causes Malaria could not infect the persons’ blood, but the cells would become sickle shaped and die or be destroyed by the body’s natural defenses. The parasite never gets a chance to multiply in a person’s blood stream, but those that carried two sickle cell genes might develop sickle cell disease and die. Having that single sickle cell gene was an advantage for survival in malarious countries. Here in the United States we are no longer exposed to the risk of Malaria, however, the gene is still present. According to the Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders and Birth Defects, in the United States alone there are over 2000 infants a year born with Sickle Cell Disease, and one in 12 African Americans are thought to be trait carriers. And according to Simon M. Dyson and Gwynth Boswell Director of Unit for Social study of Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell school of allied health sciences, Sickle Cell is the most common genetic condition in England affecting 2380 births. According to the Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders and Birth Defects the first description of Sickle Cell Disease was by a Chicago physician, James B. Herrick, who noted in 1910, that a patient of his from the West Indies had an anemia characterized by unusual red blood cells that were sickled shaped. Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder that blocks blood circulation. It is present at birth, and symptoms usually do not occur until after 4 months. Normal red blood cells are doughnut shaped, and they move through blood vessels easily carrying oxygen throughout the body. However, sickle cells are shaped like sickles that farmers used to cut their wheat. They are hard, sticky and obstruct blood circulation, and when they try to pass through small blood vessels often break apart. Sickle Cells deprive organ tissue of oxygen. When red blood cells release oxygen into the body the hemoglobin forms into long rods, thus becoming sickle shaped in turn causing more blood cells to sickle, more oxygen deprivation, pain and organ damage. According to the Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders and Birth Defects, in 1927, Hahn and Gillespie were the first to show that sickling of the red cells was related to low oxygen. Sickle Cells live only half as long as normal red blood cells, which are about 120 days. Because, Sickle Cells die so quickly the body cannot, make new red blood fast enough to replace the sickle cells, thus causing anemia. In 1949, a US Chemist named Dr. Linus Pauling found the flaw in the hemoglobin molecule responsible for the condition.
Mission - To promote the knowledge and understanding of Sickle Cell Disease as a health crisis and to advocate for people who are living with the disease.
Purpose - To inform and educate the community about Sickle Cell Disease and Trait. To actively advocate for people who are living with the disease.