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WASHINGTON,
DC
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In
an
initiative
to
educate
communities
across
the
country
on
sickle
cell
disease,
Senators
Tim
Scott
(R-SC),
Cory
Booker
(D-NJ),
Sherrod
Brown
(D-OH),
and
Johnny
Isakson
(R-GA)
announce
the
passage
of
their
resolution
to
designate
September
2016
as
“Sickle
Cell
Disease
Awareness
Month.”
Sickle
Cell
Disease
(SCD),
an
inherited
disease
disorder
that
causes
major
health
problems,
directly
affects
100,000
people
nationwide.
Individuals
diagnosed
with
SCD
may
experience
serious
medical
complications
ranging
from
anemia,
restricted
blood
flow,
strokes
and
even
death.
While
hematopoietic
stem
cell
transplantation
is
currently
the
only
known
cure
and
advancements
have
been
made
in
treating
complications,
more
can
be
done
to
help
patients
and
their
families.
“My
hope
is
that
by
highlighting
the
severity
of
this
disease
we
can
get
more
people
focused
on
finding
more
widely
available
cures,”
said
Scott.
“The
numbers
are
heartbreaking.
This
disease
affects
1
in
365
newborn
African
American
infants,
and
the
only
thing
parents
can
cling
to
is
the
hope
that
one
day
their
children
may
be
able
to
live
a
pain-free
life.
Hopefully
our
efforts
will
help
to
bring
Sickle
Cell
awareness
to
the
forefront
of
medical
research,
and
we
will
continue
to
see
more
developments
in
the
near
future.”
“An
estimated
100,000
Americans,
the
vast
majority
of
whom
are
African-American,
are
battling
the devastating
effects
of Sickle
Cell
Disease,”
said
Booker.
“By
congressionally
recognizing
the
month
of
September
‘Sickle
Cell
Awareness
Month,’
it
will
draw
greater
awareness
to
the
need
for
more
research
and
investment
into
curing
this
debilitating
disease.”
“Sickle
cell
is
a
painful,
lifelong
and
life-shortening
illness
that
disproportionately
affects
the
African
American
community
and
does
not
get
the
attention
it
deserves,”
said
Brown.
“While
we
are
seeing
children
with
sickle
cell
live
to
see
more
birthdays
than
ever
before,
this
rare
disease
still
causes
too
much
pain
and
cuts
too
many
patients’
lives
short.
By
raising
awareness
around
this
disease
we
can
help
enhance
screening
for
the
trait,
encourage
additional
research
investment,
and
improve
treatment
options
and
increase
support
for
patients
who
are
diagnosed
with
sickle
cell.”
“Sickle
cell disease
is
a
terrible affliction
for
so
many in Georgia,
which
has
one
of the
highest
sickle
cell
populations
in
the
country,” said
Isakson.
“Children's
Health
Care
of
Atlanta
treats
more
than
1,800 children
with pediatric
sickle
cell. It is
my
hope
that raising
awareness
for
the disease will help encourage
more
testing
for
at-risk adults
and
children
and move
research
forward
on
finding
a cure.”
One
in
13
African
Americans
are
carriers
of
the
Sickle
Cell
trait,
and
a
child
whose
parents
are
both
carriers
have
a
25
percent
chance
of
being
diagnosed
with
SCD.
The
senators
hope
this
resolution
will
continue
to
amplify
the
seriousness
of
SCD
while
pushing
for
people
across
the
country
to
highlight
the
urgency
of
finding
a
widely
accessible
cure,
identifying
early
detection
methods,
and
ensuring
those
with
SCD
are
aware
of
available
resources.
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