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our services For more information: Detroit Main Line: (313) 864-4406 Children's Hospital SC Clinic: (313) 745-5613 Sickle Cell Trait Counseling: (313) 595-0280 School/Job Assistance: (313) 595-0541 Email info@scdaami.org Contact our nearest satellite office: Adult Clinic Caseworker at DMC :(313) 864-4406 Benton Harbor/Kalamazoo Area: (313) 505-4081 Grand Rapids/Muskegon Area: (616) 788-9816 Jackson/Lansing Area: (800) 842-0973 Saginaw/Flint Area: (989) 372-0256 SCDAA-MI provides a range of services to individuals with sickle cell and their families. This includes counseling, support groups, referrals for financial and medical help, college and employment assistance, sending children to summer camp each year. The agency also coordinates newborn screening for all babies born in Michigan. Client assistance WHAT WE DO HERE TO HELP Services We Provide Do you have medical insurance, primary care, a hematologist? Do you need accommodations at school/work? Let us help you manage your life with sickle cell. Read More PARTNER RESOURCES Community Connections We've compiled a handy list of helpful partner resources you can use to help meet basic and emergency needs for yourself and/or your family. Read More COVID-19 INFORMATION What You Should Know Individuals with sickle cell run a higher risk of complications if they contract COVID-19. Get SCD-specific info and guidelines to help stay safe. Read More

We thank you for your service! Tonya Ashwood-Malone, Data Manager Congratulating Tonya Malone on 30 years of dedicated service to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Michigan Chapter, Inc. We appreciate you.

Thank you 2024 Sponsors for helping us reach our goal!! Sickle cell is a complex biopsychosocial condition affecting every blood vessel, organ, and system in the body. While its severity impacts each individual uniquely, sickle cell’s most common visible presentation is excruciating, unpredictable pain. However, the condition’s less visible complications of continual hemolytic anemia and vascular and organ damage are silent, but life-shortening, ramifications suffered by every individual with sickle cell. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. SCDAA-MI provides education, assistance, and advocacy for individuals living with and families affected by sickle cell disease. Our services are available throughout Michigan and span lifetime needs. OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN - SHARE - DISCOVER Anniversary STATE OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE EXPLORE TREATMENTS WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH SCDAA-MI NEWS & MEDIA SPONSORS & ALLIANCES QUESTIONS ABOUT HYDROXYUREA WE'RE NOW WORKING REMOTELY TO HELP PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. THANK YOU! DETROIT OFFICE 18516 James Couzens Fwy Detroit, MI 48235 Mon - Fri: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Special Event Hours as Posted CONTACT US Detroit/SE Mich: (313) 864-4406 or ( 800) 842-0973 Children's Hospital SC Clinic: (313) 745-5613 Sickle Cell Trait Counseling: (313) 864-4406 School/Job Assistance: (313) 595-0541 Email: info@scdaami.org SATELLITE OFFICES Adult Clinic Caseworker: (313) 864-4406 Benton Harbor/Kalamazoo Area: (269) 927-5629 Grand Rapids/Muskegon Area: (616) 788-9816 Jackson/Lansing Area: (517) 249-3528 Saginaw/Flint Area: (989) 372-0256

SICKLE CELL 911: FAST ACCESS TO GUIDELINES & BETTER CARE Empowering medical professionals to implement evidence-based sickle cell action. Amplifying the patient's voice in care. OPIOIDS & SCD NIH GUIDELINES COMPLICATIONS ASH POCKET GUIDES SCD EDUCATION SICKLE CELL 911 About the SAFE(R) Initiative Access/download a compilation of the NIH guides specific to SAFE(R). PARTNER WITH SAFER SAFE(R) stems from the sad and dangerous reality that many individuals with sickle cell opt to "wait out" an acute episode as long as possible rather than endure a traumatizing trip to the ED where they're likely to be stigmatized and/or undertreated. This treatment time lost equates to eventual organ failure or other tragic complications. Central to the SAFE(R) Initiative is the Sickle Cell 911 (#SCD911) card, the key to a site dedicated to acute sickle cell care, containing NIH guidelines in an easy-access form. For providers, Sickle Cell 911 serves as a portable portal to evidence-based practices, knowledge and resources for treating SCD and its complications. For the patient, it's evidence-based back up of information many have already shared to no avail. Or details they're too sick to effectively relay by the time they arrive in your ED. For us, it's a small way to take big steps toward catching up the adult medical community on strides pediatric practitioners have been making for the last 50 years: We've succeeded not only in getting sickle cell babies beyond the critical first five years, but we've now catapulted them into adulthood and find there is little safety net for their treatment and care. This reality shouldn't exist. You can be the change. "Only about 1 in 4 patients with sickle cell disease receive the standard of care described in current guidelines, and many studies have shown that patients do not receive treatment for their pain as soon as, or in appropriate doses as, other patients." -HHS Office of Minority Health #SickleCell911 #BlackPatientLivesMatter #EliminateHealthDisparities Join forces with SCDAA-MI! Assure Michigan sickle cell patients they're SAFE(R) in your facility than at home because you'll adhere to CDC and NIH guidelines in their care. Here's what you can do: Assess your ED's readiness to provide guideline-adherent emergency sickle cell care using ASH's approach . (PDF ) Let hospital and ED staff know that we're sending patients out with their SCD911 cards. Contact us to set a face-to-face meeting with your practice or hospital leadership and address any concerns. Give us the opportunity to speak directly with physicians, specialists and other medical professionals so we can discuss the burden of sickle cell, dispel common myths, and offer tips on adhering to the NIH guidelines. Spend some time with us. Meet our patients, their families, our staff and supporters. Put a face to the discussion. Let us know how you'd like to partner. #ThankYou For more information, contact Stefanie Worth at the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America - Michigan Chapter. “We must ensure that people living with sickle cell disease don’t become collateral damage in the fight against the opioid overdose epidemic.” “During a pain crisis, SCD patients often suffer more than they should because of the complex nature and mechanisms of acute and chronic sickle cell pain, combined with a lack of understanding by health care professionals of the unique needs of these patients. We are committed to protecting their access to the appropriate and safe use of opioids, while developing more effective ways to prevent and treat SCD pain.” -Adm. Brett Giroir, MD, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Visit our Sickle Cell 911 provider page to learn more about sickle cell and access information about current clinical practice guidelines. here SOURCES: https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/sicklecell/, https://www.ashclinicalnews.org/spotlight/feature-articles/the-other-opioid-epidemic/, https://ashpublications.org/hematology/article-lookup/doi/10.1182/asheducation-2017.1.412

Ways to participate in our virtual walk Donate/Join/Fundraise Since the Walk is now virtual, registration is optional. You can turn your registration fee into a donation, join/create a team or become a fundraiser. Team Set Up Once you create a team, you'll get an email for page set up. We also have step-by-step instructions here to personalize your page. Sponsor Info Your company sponsorship heightens the visibility of your commitment to social responsibility. The return on investment benefits us all. Vendor/Exhibitor This year we're offering two vendor experiences: Both provide virtual promotion, one also offers limited sponsor benefits. Legacy Warriors Are you a sickle cell warrior who's 40 or older? We invite you to join our Legacy Salute! Sign up here by 9/5 to be included. The COVID-19 pandemic will keep us from walking together, but the reasons we walk are still present every day in every individual living with sickle cell. We still need your help to meet the needs of our community. How Our Virtual Walk Works “Join where you are and move how you choose” is the theme of this year’s Sickle Cell Matters Virtual Walk. This means you can participate from anywhere – home, a favorite landmark, nearby park, or your local drop-off election ballot box . (Hint!) Everyone who registers, donates, or starts a team will receive a pedometer, but you’re not limited to walking. Change it up! Transfer the 30-40 minutes you would have used to walk with our group to a session of Zumba, yoga, golf, dancing or yes, walking. We encourage you to start on Sept. 14 to help us promote the event. Post photos or videos of your activity to your social media accounts using #SickleCellMattersWalkMI #SickleCellLivesMatter #SickleCellMichigan. Have fun with it – show off your steps, shout out your team, team members, and the warrior you’re participating for. Then on Saturday, Sept. 19, join us on Facebook @sicklecellmichigan for the online celebration beginning at 10 a.m. Right click to download, save and share this graphic! Contests & Prizes Right click to download, save and share this graphic! Everyone who supports our 2020 Sickle Cell Matters Virtual Walk by registering, donating, fundraising, or starting a team by 9/5 will receive a pedometer as a thank you and reminder that fitness – movement – is important for all of us every day. Everyone who signs up as a fundraiser or creates a team by 9/5 will also be entered into a giveaway for a $100 gift card. We’ll recognize the two teams that raise the most money by Sept. 12. Team captain of the top team receives a $100 gift card. The second place team captain will receive a $50 gift card. The team captain with the most walkers as of Sept. 12 will receive a $100 gift card. We’re expanding our annual T-Shirt Contest to include posters this year. Create a design supporting #SickleCellLivesMatter. Show your poster or wear your T-Shirt in your virtual walk photos and videos. Enter your T-Shirt and poster designs in the contest by Sept. 5 for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Winners will be announced on Sept. 19. (You must be registered for the walk, donate, or be signed up as a fundraiser or team captain to be eligible for entry.) Tribute to Fallen Warriors We offer our heartfelt condolences to all the friends, families and loved ones of individuals with sickle cell who’ve passed away over the years. This year, again, we’ll pay tribute to the lives of those we've lost here in Michigan. To include your loved one in our tribute, please send the following to info@scdaami.org no later than Sept. 5: Name of the individual who passed away, dates of birth and death, and a photo. Right click to download, save and share this graphic! Salute to Legacy Warriors Right click to download, save and share this graphic! We’re inviting all individuals with sickle cell aged 40 and older to join our 2020 salute. Consider this an extra birthday celebration! The honors are open to all warriors, no matter where you live. Sign up here and send a photo of yourself to info@scdaami.org with the subject line “Legacy Warrior.” Be sure to include your name in the email. #WarriorsWipeItDownChallenge We’re inviting all sickle cell warriors to join in a special #WipeItDown challenge for our virtual walk. Post to your social media using any of the day’s hashtags: #SickleCellMattersWalkMI #SickleCellLivesMatter #WarriorsWipeItDown Right click to download, save and share this graphic! #SickleSlide Calling the hustle crowd! Take on the Sickle Slide to raise consciousness around sickle cell in a fun and active way. Post your video and tag us @sicklecellmichigan. Be sure to post a fact or two about your life with sickle cell and use #SickleSlide and #SickleCellMattersWalkMI. You could be featured in our Walk day celebration! howwalkworks contests legacywarriors fallenwarriors wipeitdown sickleslide Check our leaderboard frequently to see how your campaign is doing and what the competition is up to. For additional information, please contact the following SCDAA-MI staff for specific assistance or call (313) 864-4406: Registration, team setup or technical issues - email Kristal Johnson Sponsorships - email Stefanie Worth Vendor Information - email Tracie Conic

Catch up on news and information from the SCDAA-MI E- newsletters Read the latest news SUBSCRIBE TO OUR E-NEWS September 2020 Special Edition Read web version Download PDF Summer 2020 (August) Read web version Download PDF World Sickle Cell Day Alert Read web version Download PDF Spring 2020 (April) Read web version Download PDF January 2020 (Winter) Read web version Download PDF November 2019 Read web version Download PDF

client feedback Volunteer Photo Release Client Feedback SCDAA-MI has been helping improve the lives of individuals with sickle cell for nearly half a century. How are we doing? We'd like to hear from you to help shape our work for the next 50 years. Use the form below to tell us how we've been able to help you, what we can do better, and to share your ideas for other services. Your voice matters! Thanks for sharing your feedback!

2018 event gallery 2020 Photo Gallery 2019 Photo Gallery Awareness Campaign Launch 2018 SICKLE CELLebration Boll Family YMCA Detroit Saturday, September, 22, 2018 June 19th - World Sickle Cell Day! Saturday, June 9th, 2018 #Sicklecellmatters Awareness Walk Palmer Park, Detroit, Michigan Friendship Baptist Church presents The 42nd Annual Cynthia Coles Circle Benefit Luncheon

2019 Sickle Cell Matters Walk Become a Sponsor Become a Vendor

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Sickle Cell Disease Association of America - Michigan Chapter Staff Tracie L. Conic, M.A., B.S.W Director of Client Services/HIPAA Compliance Officer Tonya Ashwood-Malone Data Manager Khaleeda Robinson, MPH., B.S. Community Health Worker/Patient Advocate Detroit Michael Copeland, B.S. Community Health Worker/Patient Advocate Grand Rapids/Muskegon Area Jessica Williams Program Assistant Ben Frazier, B.S.W. Community Health Worker/Patient Advocate Saginaw/Flint Area Melanie Greer, B.S. Community Health Worker/Patient Advocate Benton Harbor/Kalamazoo Craig Bradley Director of Operations & Outreach Darlene Hunt Maintenance/Courier Kristal Johnson-Cobb Administrative Assistant Cree King-Jackson Executive Assistant/Newborn Screening Assistant Clifton Kirkman II Social Media Specialist Jerica McBride, M.A. Education/Career Coordinator Angela McCreary, B.S.W. Community Health Worker/Patient Advocate Lansing/Jackson Area Richard Reed Finance Manager Wanda Whitten-Shurney, M.D. CEO & Medical Director our staff

sickle cell treatments While there is no universal cure for sickle cell disease (yet), there are several therapeutic approaches to relieve symptoms, reduce complications, and extend life. Early treatment (by eight weeks) by a hematologist is critical for newborns. Beginning a course of prophylactic penicillin at age two months was a historic intervention in changing the course of childhood sickle cell survival. View our Feb. 29th Treatment Workshop where we discussed all the current treatments available to cure sickle cell. CLICK TO PLAY ON FACEBOOK Part 1 with Dr. Wanda Whitten-Shurney (44 mins) CLICK TO PLAY ON FACEBOOK Part 2 with Dr. Ahmar Zaidi (58 mins) The only cure for sickle cell disease is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Most sickle cell disease transplants are currently performed in children who have had complications such as strokes, acute chest crises, and recurring pain crises. These transplants usually use a matched donor. Blood and bone marrow transplants are riskier in adults. Read more Medicines can reduce or alleviate symptoms and complications and prolong life. Penicillin In children who have sickle cell disease, taking penicillin two times a day has been shown to reduce the chance of having a severe infection caused by the pneumococcus bacteria. Newborns need to take liquid penicillin. Older children can take tablets. Many doctors will stop prescribing penicillin after a child has reached the age of 5. Some prefer to continue this antibiotic throughout life, particularly if a person has hemoglobin SS or hemoglobin Sβ0 thalassemia, since people who have sickle cell disease are still at risk. All people who have had surgical removal of the spleen, called a splenectomy, or a past infection with pneumococcus should keep taking penicillin throughout life. Hydroxyurea Hydroxyurea is an oral medicine that has been shown to reduce or prevent several sickle cell disease complications. This medicine was studied in patients who have sickle cell disease, because it was known to increase the amount of fetal hemoglobin (hemoglobin F) in the blood. Increased hemoglobin F provides some protection against the effects of hemoglobin S. Watch Dr. Shurney’s animated video about Hydroxyurea and how it works Endari Approved by the FDA for sickle cell use in 2017, Endari is an oral L-glutamine therapy for sickle cell disease and sickle cell thalassemia that reduces the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adults and children 5 years and older. It works by increasing the amount of glutamine in the blood. The added glutamine is taken up by the defective sickle cells, and when metabolized (broken down) results in the release of antioxidants.Common side effects include constipation, nausea, headache, abdominal pain, cough, pain in the extremities, back pain and chest pain. Patient web site Endari co-pay assistance Adakveo In 2019, the FDA also approved a new medicine to reduce the number of pain crises experienced by adults and children 16 years and older who have sickle cell disease. The medicine, which is given through an IV in the vein, helps prevent blood cells from sticking to blood vessel walls and causing blood flow blockage, inflammation, and pain crises. Possible side effects include nausea, joint pain, back pain, and fever. Patient resources web site Downloadable patient brochure Oxbryta The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new medicine in 2019 to treat sickle cell disease in adults and children 12 years and older. The oral medicine prevents red blood cells from forming the sickle shape and binding together. This may decrease the destruction of some red blood cells, which in turn lowers the risk for anemia and improves blood flow to your organs. Possible side effects include headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, and fever. Rarely, allergic reactions may occur, causing rashes, hives, or mild shortness of breath. Talk to your doctor about other medicines you take. Patient web site Caregiver tips Downloadable patient information leaflet Transfusions are often used in acute or preventive situations. Transfusions are administered to treat and prevent certain sickle cell disease complications. These transfusions may include: Acute transfusion to treat complications that cause severe anemia. Doctors may also use transfusions when a patient has an acute stroke, in many cases of acute chest crises, and in multi-organ failure. A patient who has sickle cell disease usually receives blood transfusions before surgery, to prevent complications. Red blood cell transfusions to increase the number of red blood cells and provide normal red blood cells that are more flexible than red blood cells with sickle hemoglobin. Regular or ongoing blood transfusions for people who have had an acute stroke, to reduce the chances of having another stroke. Doctors also recommend blood transfusions for children who have abnormal transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound results, because transfusions can reduce the chance of having a first stroke. There are other treatments for specific complications. Be mindful that not all treatments work for everyone. Some people find success with alternative treatments as well, including medical marijuana (be knowledgeable about legalities that may impact school, work and overall health). To stay as healthy as possible, patients should be sure to get regular medical care that includes a pediatrician (for children) or primary care physician (for adults) and a hematologist and work with them to create the best individual care plan. Patients should also live a healthy lifestyle and avoid triggers that may cause a pain crisis. Page sources: NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, FDA.gov, Endari, Adakveo, Oxbryta