September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, designated by Congress to help focus attention on the need for research and treatment of sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin.
Sometimes 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. We talk treatments and resources available to those affected by this disease.
Guests:
- State Sen. Daryl Rouson [D], District 16, St. Petersburg
- Dr. Farranaz Alvarez Nunez, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children