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Your gift to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America - Michigan Chapter helps ensure that counseling, educational, medical, and basic needs services are addressed for people with sickle cell. By supporting our work, you help improve lives. Thank you for your support! donation page Donate Now How much are you donating? * $15 $25 $50 $75 $100 Other First Name Last Name I'd like this donation to remain anonymous Company Street Address City, STATE Zip Email Address Donating in honor of: DONATE Thank you for helping us improve the lives of people with sickle cell!

SCDtranstion support We want to make it easier to find credible, useful information that helps make it a little easier to live with sickle cell. Ideas for content are welcome! CLINICAL TRIALS Research into treatments for sickle cell are at an all-time high. Once a new possibility is discovered, it moves through a series of further studies and approvals that include clinical trials. Without the brave patients who come forward to test new approaches, new treatments couldn't make it to market. Here's a list of NIH-funded trials for sickle cell currently underway. Source: National Institutes of Health SICKLE CELL GLOSSARY A diagnosis of sickle cell comes with its own language. If you're newly-diagnosed, the words can be overwhelming. As research evolves and new discoveries about living with the disease come to light, new terms will be added to conversations. This glossary will serve as both an introduction and a refresher for those who need it. Source: Missouri Dept. of Health & Senior Services UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL SPEAK Do you know what your doctor just said to you? Even if you ask for clarification on site, you might forget a few things before you reach your next destination. Or you may be surfing the internet and come across unfamiliar terms used in your medical care. This dictionary provides definitions in every day language to help you better understand your condition. Source: Medical Library Association NIH - HEALTH MAINTENANCE FOR SCD Click the image for a PDF of the NIH guidelines and recommendations for the health maintenance of people with sickle cell. (Approx. 40 pages) Read and provide a copy to your primary care physician. Click the yellow button to go directly to the full NIH document. Source: National Institutes of Health CDC OPIOID CLARIFICATION FOR SCD In February 2019, the CDC clarified its opioid guidelines in a letter to ASH stating its guidelines were not intended to manage the complexities of sickle cell. The CDC instead refers providers to the NIH guidelines for proper care. Access the full letter. Source: American Society of Hematology NIH - TREATMENT GUIDES FOR SCD Click the image for a PDF of the full NIH guidelines and recommendations for the management of sickle cell disease (161 pages). Click the yellow button to go directly to the full document on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) web site. Source: National Institutes of Health PASSPORT TO HEALTH TOOLKIT Dr. Wanda Whitten-Shurney's Passport to Health Toolkit is a great source of information for maintaining your health. (Join us for an educational program to receive the backpack that goes with it. *While supplies last!) Source: Dr. Wanda Shurney TIPS FOR TRIPS TO ER Emergency room visits are a frequent course of action for people with sickle cell. The CDC provides this handout with suggestions for talking with physicians and navigating the experience. Source: Centers for Disease Control SICKLE CELL FACTS & FIGURES The American Society of Hematology (ASH) provides this clear and thorough handout with facts and figures to help educate yourself and others about the biology and impact of sickle cell disease. Source: American Sociiety of Hematology Looking for a hematologist? Try this zip code-based search . (We do not endorse the physicians listed. Use proper care in researching their expertise.) You can also contact our office for suggestions provided by existing patients/clients. Other informational resources

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we're not holding any face-to-face events at this time. Visit this page to keep up with our virtual activities. 2019 holidays Camp Cancellation2 WSU 02282020 Whitten-Shurney MD Register2 GivingTuesdayNow Walk promo IMG_0946 SCDAAMI Stabenow meeting Ahmar TEDx IMG_0943 iseeu 2024 Events Mark your calendar and join us for fun, educational, advocacy, and celebratory events throughout the year. (Virtual for now, of course.) SCDAA-MI Upcoming Events Flyers will be uploaded in the future. WORLD SICKLE CELL DAY - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2024 THE ANNUAL SICKLE CELL MATTERS AWARENESS WALK - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 (The Charles H. Wright Museum) FLINT MICHIGAN SICKLE CELL AWARENESS WALK - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2024 Have questions? Need info? Want to send an idea for an educational topic? Contact us at info@scdaami.org or 313.864.4406.

Since we have announced our Save the date for our 2021 Sickle Cell Matters Awareness Walk, We look forward to your participation! Here are highlights from last year's walk..... Enjoy!!!! I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. The Sickle Cell Matters Virtual Walk program starts at 10 :15 a.m. EST here and on Facebook @SickleCellMichigan! YOUR GUIDE TO THE daY* *Program times are approximate You can still donate to the 2020 Sickle Cell Matters Virtual Walk through September 30th. We appreciate your support! Donate to the cause or a team Click the image to download a PDF version of the day's agenda. 10:15 - WELCOME REMARKS SCDAA-MI CEO & Medical Director, Dr. Wanda Whitten-Shurney Honorary Chair, Deborah Smith-Pollard Honorary C-Chair, Dr. Ahmar Zaidi, "Dr. Z." 10:21 - #SICKLESLIDE Join Dr. Shurney and the staff of the Bottomless Toy Chest in the #SickleSlide 10:24 - WARRIOR RECOGNITIONS Tribute to Fallen Warriors - Those We've Lost 2020 Graduation Open House Celebration Salute to Legacy Warriors - Those 40 & Over 10:37 - MEET OUR SPONSORS Greetings from Medunik USA & What You Should Know About Sickle Cell Anemia Wayne County Community College District Tour Emmaus Life Sciences - About Endari 11:14 - PRODUCTS & SERVICES Pfizer - Functional Fluidics Sick Cells - Versiti - Terumo 11:16 - GIVEAWAYS & AWARDS 1st & 2nd Place Fundraising Teams (as of 9/12) Most Team Members (as of 9/12) T-Shirt/Poster Design Contest Winner Giveaway Winner From All Participants (as of 9/5 11:20 - TIME TO MOVE! Now's the time to move how you choose. Take your walk, do a little yoga, or head out to your ballot box to drop off your election ballot. Be sure to post your photos u sing #SickleCellMattersWalkMI #SickleCellMatters #SickleCellLivesMatter Dr. Wanda Whitten-Shurney Deborah Smith-Pollard Dr. Ahmar Zaidi Thank you for making our 2020 Sickle Cell Matters Virtual Walk a huge success! DONATE NOW Our 2020 Sickle Cell Matters Walk sponsors! Meet the Sponsors

sickle cell conditions Sickle cell disease is the most common heritable blood disorder in the U.S. It affects 100,00 people, most of them living healthier and longer lives than would've been possible one or two generations ago. The disease is chronic, complex and challenging. But at the SCDAA-MI, we are resilient and resourceful - committed to improving lives. We're here to win. SCROLL DISEASE & TRAIT What & How Learn about the history, transmission and variability of sickle cell disease, and what we're discovering about trait. Read More PATIENT SUPPORT Find Answers You have questions, we're here to help you get answers. Cut through the internet chatter with credible tips, tools and insights. Read More TREATMENTS Is there a cure? A universal cure isn't here yet, but there are disease-altering treatments for children & adults that you should know about. Read More SAFE(R) Stay SAFER in the ER Learn more about our SAFE(R) initiative and the evidence-based guidelines in place for emergency sickle cell care. Read More

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

our services For more information: Detroit Main Line: (313) 864-4406 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 Contact our nearest satellite office: Detroit Area: (313) 613-7327 Benton Harbor/Kalamazoo Area: (304) 404-4229 Grand Rapids/Muskegon Area: (616) 788-9816 Jackson/Lansing Area: (517) 249-9528 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. 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 CORONAVIRUS / COVID-19 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

photo galleries 2019 event gallery 2018 Photo Gallery 2020 Photo Gallery Awareness Campaign Launch Celebrating 43 Years of Helping to Break the Sickle Cycle! The Cynthia Coles Circle 2019 Annual Sickle Cell Benefit Luncheon Saturday, May 18,2019 Guest Speaker Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist III Celebrating World Sickle Cell Day June 19, 2019 Thank you to all of our supporters! The Sickle Strong Empowerment Circle presents its 1st Annual Balloon Release June 19, 2019 World Sickle Cell Day Belle Isle Park Detroit, Michigan

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News media releases and alerts from SCDAA-MI press releases Advisories from SCDAA's Medical and Research Advisory Committee Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Medical and Research Advisory Committee COVID-19 Update “December 23, 2021 – SCDAA MARAC reminds the sickle cell community that the COVID-19 pandemic is having another increase in infections. New variants like omicron are emerging, as is common for RNA viruses, and vaccination rates need to consequently improve. Vaccinations can protect against severe illness. A new mediation might also help as early treatment for infected individuals.” Further details/recommendations on website: https://www.sicklecelldisease.org/2021/12/23/marac-advisory-statement-update-about-covid-19/ MARAC Advisory Statement on Post-secondary and Boarding School Education in the Age of COVID-19 (July 31, 2020) - SHOW THIS TO YOUR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR TO HELP THEM HELP YOU. MARAC Advisory Statement for SCD Patients Who are Teachers, Administrators, and Other Support Staff during School Reopening (July 30, 2020) - SHOW THIS TO YOUR EMPLOYER TO HELP THEM HELP YOU SCDAA MARAC Position on 2020 School Reopening (July 27, 2020) - SHOW THIS TO YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TO HELP THEM HELP YOU MARAC Advisory Statement Regarding SCD Patients during the time of “Reopening” the U.S. Economy (April 30, 2020) Sickle Cell Disease and COVID-19: Provider Advisory: An Outline to Decrease Burden and Minimize Morbidity (May 27, 2020) Health Alert for People with Sickle Cell Disease and their Caregivers (March 17, 2020) - SHOW THIS TO YOUR MEDICAL PROVIDERS TO HELP THEM HELP YOU A Health Note From Dr. Biree Andemariam , SCDAA Chief Medical Officer (March 13, 2020)

If you inherit only one sickle hemoglobin gene from a parent you will carry the sickle cell trait. While the trait was once thought to be innocuous, in recent years more has been learned about carriers. People with the trait are more likely to suffer from conditions such as urinary tract infections or blood in the urine. Even athletes with sickle cell trait are now advised to take special precautions. sickle cell trait Sickle Cell Trait Facts In some people the red blood cells can take on the shape of a farmer’s sickle. If you are born with this gene from one parent you have SICKLE CELL TRAIT. If you are born with this gene from both parents you have SICKLE CELL DISEASE. A person with sickle cell DISEASE has sickle cells in the blood stream which can cause health problems Such as pain, infection and anemia. A person with sickle cell TRAIT does not have sickle cells in the blood stream and does not have a disease. They're considered to be a carrier. If both parents have sickle cell TRAIT, each time a child is born there is a 25% (1 in 4) chance the child will have sickle cell DISEASE. This doesn't mean that if you have four children, one of them will have a chance of being born with sickle cell disease. It means that each child has a 25% chance of being born with the disease. There are two other fairly common traits that can also result in having a child with sickle cell disease: h emoglobin C trait and thalassemia trait. Since you do not get sick from any of these traits, you may have one of them and not know it. People of childbearing age should know if they have any of these traits so that they can make informed decisions regarding family planning. Know your trait status! View and download the full infographic here . SCDAA-MI offers free testing for sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease at its office: 18516 James Couzens Fwy, Detroit, MI 48235. Appointments and walk-ins are welcome. Call or contact us for more information. More info on the CDC's sickle cell trait site. Learn more about the NCAA and sickle cell trait

2019 Photo Gallery 2018 Photo Gallery 2021 photo galleries Awareness Campaign Launch This year for World Sickle Cell Day the Sickle Strong Adult Support Group hosted a lantern release to where we all could shine a light for individual living with sickle cell and to honor the memory of the beautiful ones we loss. Please enjoy these highlights! Thank You! (Is your photo/video missing from this collection? If so, email it to us.)