World Sickle Cell Day Brings Awareness to Rare Disease, Unites Community
Phoenix Children’s Hospital will celebrate World Sickle Cell Day with a short program, panel discussion and breakfast for families with sickle cell, staff and the community on June 19th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event will be held at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Main Building 2nd Floor – Heart Center Lobby, 1919 E Thomas Road, Phoenix. Map
The World Sickle Cell Day Celebration event, appropriately themed “Educate and Unite”, will be hosted by 3TV’s Britney Shipp and will feature opening remarks from Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders providers. Kwamie Lassiter, former Arizona Cardinals player, will also speak from his point of view as the father of a child with sickle cell. A panel discussion of sickle cell experts will give attendees an overview of what sickle cell is, innovations to cure sickle cell and debunking myths about the disease. Local organizations Denny’s Restaurants and Quest to Cure Services are sponsoring the event.
Doctors at Phoenix Children’s describe sickle cell as “worse than cancer.” Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that leaves individuals with intense pain and causes major complications to vital organs. Over 70,000 people in the US are affected by sickle cell anemia and 2 million have sickle cell trait. Millions worldwide suffer complications from sickle cell disease.
Life expectancy for patients has increased over the past 30 years and many individuals with sickle cell disease can now live into their mid-40s and beyond. Advances in preventative care and new medications have reduced the life-threatening complications of sickle cell. However, it is still a severe, chronic, and sometimes fatal disease.
In 2008, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared sickle cell disease as a public health problem and one of the world’s foremost genetic disease, requiring heightened awareness, activism, diagnosis and management. The result of the resolution was the declaration of June 19th as World Sickle Cell Day to increase awareness of the condition all over the world.
Click here to download event flyer.
RSVP Required by June 13th, to Kathryn Hernandez at (602) 546-0914 or khernandez@phoenixchildrens.com.
About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital, ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals, is Arizona’s only licensed children’s hospital, providing world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. As one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country with 465 licensed beds, Phoenix Children’s provides care across nearly 50 pediatric specialties. The hospital is poised for continued growth in quality patient care, research and medical education. For more information about the hospital, visit www.phoenixchildrens.com.
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Media Contact:
Allison Otu
602-933-0824
