improve the lives of families who
suffer from sickle cell disease (SCD) through education, family support and
research. The ultimate goal is to support efforts aimed at providing a
universal cure for SCD."Fighting Sickle Cell, Helping Families"
Who We Are...Cure
Sickle Cell Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation registered as
a Mississippi Charity dedicated to fighting sickle cell disease and helping
families who it affects. Our mission is to improve the lives of families who
suffer from sickle cell disease (SCD) through education, family support and
research. The ultimate goal is to support efforts aimed at providing a
universal cure for SCD.
Why We Exist...Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder affecting approximately 80,000 Americans making it the most common inherited blood disorder. SCD has the potential to affect every organ system; however one of the most serious complications is stroke. Children affected by SCD between the ages of 2-20 have an 11% risk of having a stroke. Other complications include, but are not limited to, severe pain, life-threatening pneumonia and death. For more information about SCD click here.
Who We
Support...Our organization's support is primarily directed to the
sickle cell clinic at Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at the University of
Mississippi Medical Center. The University of Mississippi Medical Center
(UMMC)
is only institution in Mississippi that has resources dedicated to serving t
he
sickle cell community. UMMC offers of variety of services for sickle cell
patients, including a successful bone marrow transplant program. In
addition, there is ongoing research efforts.
As an organization, we are dedicated to increasing community awareness and funding for SCD both from governmental sources and private philanthropic donations. In the past, funding for SCD has been less than optimal. In 2006, an article that was published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, entitled "Sickle Cell Disease: A Question of Equity and Equality", addressed this very issue. This revealing article explored the large disparities in funding for SCD. The authors thought it was "tragic and unjust for a particular group of patients to suffer avoidable complications even death because effective new therapies have not been uniformly implemented" because of a lack of funding.
Activities...We
are dedicated to bringing SCD to the forefront through community
activities.
Our annual events include a Walk & Gala held in September, National Sickle Cell
Month and our Birthday Bash held in honor of a child with SCD who accepts
donations in lieu of gifts. All these exciting events brings
awareness and financial support to SCD all while giving participants a chance to
enjoy themselves for a good cause.
How You Can Help...As a nonprofit corporation, we rely on support from the community. Whether you are an individual donor or a corporate sponsor, we need your help to further our cause and continue our mission. You can participate in various ways. Volunteers are always needed at every level and financial and professional contributions are critical to our existence. So we hope that you can support us and if you already have, thanks for your support!