Sickle Cell Disease makes the red blood cells hard, sticky, and shaped like a sickle. The sickle cells die quickly, so people with SCD always have a shortage of red blood cells. The life expectancy for an SCD patient is 40 - 60yrs and treatment of mostly focuses on preventing and treating complications.

Under some conditions, a person with sickle cell trait can experience some of the same problems as a person who has sickle cell disease. What is often overlooked is the fact that carriers also experience frequent episodes of pain and fatigue which are 'unexplained'.

My daughter and I are carriers of sickle cell and I hope and pray that by the time she gets to adulthood, the advancements in SC research will mean that she has a shot a pain-free life, among other things. My hair is an expression of me on any day of the week, and now I have shaved it off in support of this worthy cause. Please help us change the narrative.