Pennsylvania: Fundraiser for Sickle Cell Anemia

An article via the Philadelphia Tribune announced an annual fundraiser benefiting those with sickle cell anemia.The Blue Tag Gala will be held Oct. 25 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Hyatt at The Bellevue, Grand Ballroom, 200 S. Broad St. to benefit the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

For those who are unaware of what sickle cell is, it occurs when a person’s red blood cells become hard and “sickle” shaped, which causes these cells to block blood flow and cause organ damage. It is estimated that sickle cell affects close to 100,000 people in the United States and occurs in one out of every 500 African American births.

“We have a robust team of health care providers that have a multidisciplinary approach to care. It really is a robust program with a lot of expertise in clinical care and clinical research,” said Dr. Kim Smith-Whitley, medical director of the comprehensive sickle cell center. “Our research initiatives are at the level of really trying to develop cures for sickle cell disease as well as to try to improve the quality of life for those living with sickle cell disease…So many people think that sickle cell is gone but it is still here and we need to make people more aware about what they can do to help children and adults living with sickle cell disease. Bone marrow transplant is a cure but it’s a cure that is not available to all. Many children don’t have a brother or a sister who is a match for a bone marrow transplant and that means that it is not universal and what we need is a universal cure.”

For more information, visit www.bluetaggala.org.

Photo Credit – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

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