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As you may not be aware, Sickle Cell Disease directly affects my family. As a wife of a husband who has this disease and a mother of a daughter who is the carrier of the trait, I find it extremely important to help spread the word of this incurable illness.


Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder present at birth that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin* S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. These red blood cells become sickle-shaped (crescent shaped) and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels. When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can reach that part of the body. Tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is what causes the complications of sickle cell disease. There is currently no universal cure for sickle cell disease.

Sickle cells are destroyed rapidly in the body of people with the disease causing anemia, jaundice and the formation of gallstones. The sickle cells also block the flow of blood through vessels resulting in lung tissue damage (acute chest syndrome), pain episodes (arms, legs, chest and abdomen), stroke and priapism. It also causes damage to most organs including the spleen, kidneys and liver. Damage to the spleen makes sickle cell disease patients, especially young children, easily overwhelmed by certain bacterial infections.

Periods of pain are commonly referred to as pain crises, which vary in their severity, how often they happen, and how long they last. Whereas one person may have only one sickle cell pain crisis a year, another may experience them more often. Crises may be brief, or may last hours, days, or even weeks. Pain can be severe enough to require treatment in the hospital. Symptoms can develop in any body organ or tissue and include aching arms, legs, hips, and shoulders. When people with sickle cell disease get acute chest syndrome, they may have severe chest and abdominal pain, fever, cough, and trouble breathing.


Those affected with sickle cell have a shortened life span of approximately 40-48 yrs of age. However, some people with this disease live longer then the average life span and some live under the average.
Who Is At Risk for Sickle Cell Anemia? 

Sickle cell anemia is most common in people whose families come from Africa, South or Central America, Caribbean islands, Mediterranean countries (such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy), India, and Saudi Arabia. In the United States, it’s estimated that sickle cell anemia affects 70,000–100,000 people, mainly African Americans. The disease occurs in about 1 out of every 500 African American births. Sickle cell anemia also affects Hispanic Americans. The disease occurs in 1 out of every 36,000 Hispanic American births. About 2 million Americans have sickle cell trait. The condition occurs in about 1 in 12 African Americans.


Researchers continue to look for new treatments for sickle cell anemia. These include gene therapy, improved bone marrow transplants or cordblood stem cell transplant.


*Please help spread awareness of Sickle Cell Anemia. Educate and inspire others and give hope to the families effected by this life threatening disease! Visit my website at www.zazzle.com/rfraz20* to purchase customized sickle cell clothing and products.



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