December 2020
On the final day of 2020 — a year like no other — we’re reflecting on some of the important lessons we learned over the last 12 months.
View some of our most recent media mentions. We’re proud to be featured on local
and national levels, speaking about sickle cell disease.
First Lady Melania Trump and the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) hosted a roundtable titled “Improving the Lives of Americans Living with Sickle Cell Disease” on Monday September 14, 2020. The participants included U.S. Public Health Service officials, sickle cell patients, and sickle cell advocates including our own Sick Cells’ President and CEO, Ashley Valentine.
The Chicago Tribune released an article regarding the loss of Sick Cells’ co-founder, Marqus Valentine.
Ashley is a Co-Founder and President of Sick Cells nonprofit. She is the youngest sibling of her family. Her older brother and Co-Founder of Sick Cells, Marqus Valentine, has sickle cell anemia, Hgb ss.
The disease is complex physiologically, manifesting itself differently in every carrier, but also sociologically, bringing in factors like racial bias, since sickle cell is believed to be most common among minority groups, particularly African Americans.
Our community has a lot to say. Read up on some personal views and perspective
from Sick Cells’ members and the SCD community.
This month, as we continue our series on complementary therapies, Sick Cells spoke with Sam Rodgers-Melnick, MT-BC, a music therapist and clinical researcher at University Hospitals Connor Integrative Health Network in Cleveland, OH.
Sick Cells interviews Brittany Butts about her experience with the Missouri-based program Kids Rock Cancer
See an event you’re interested in? Join us.
January 28 - 29, 2021
All Day
The event will feature presentations on multiple topics related to community health, including social determinants of health. It is a great option for advocates everywhere!
February 16 - 19, 2021
All Day
Hosted by the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the ASH SCD Centers Workshop is a 4-day workshop developed to train health care professionals to establish a clinical center focused on the needs of adults living with SCD. The workshop will walk participants through the common components of such centers, the process for developing a business plan and advocating to stakeholders, the ins and outs of operations, and approaches to measuring impact and improve on the quality of care provided in these centers.
Stay informed. Whether it be news on treatments, laws or activism, sickle cell
information is always churning.
The White House released a proclamation recognizing September as National Sickle Cell Awareness Month.
First Lady Melania Trump and the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) hosted a roundtable titled “Improving the Lives of Americans Living with Sickle Cell Disease” on Monday September 14, 2020. The participants included U.S. Public Health Service officials, sickle cell patients, and sickle cell advocates including our own Sick Cells’ President and CEO, Ashley Valentine.
Black Health Matters to collaborate with When We All Vote (co-launched by Michelle Obama) to address sickle cell, among other disease, through virtual fundraiser.