Through Giving Tuesday, SCDAA’s #WeBelieve Campaign Asks Community to Make A Difference
(HANOVER, MD) – Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) kicks off its #WeBelieve Campaign, an end of year fundraising initiative, and joins Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving.
#WeBelieve focuses on the belief that those afflicted with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), especially children, get to live long and pain-free lives.
Sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disease, causes red blood cells to have a sickle-shape. With their stiffness and unusual shape, blood flow is blocked to different tissues, ultimately damaging them. These red blood cells contain an abnormal type of hemoglobin, hemoglobin S, while normal red blood cells have hemoglobin A. Hemoglobin is important to the body because it helps the body carry oxygen throughout the body. There is currently no universal cure. This damage causes serious health issues such as stroke, infection, the need for multiple surgeries, and, unfortunately, death.
Each year, more than 2,000 babies are born with Sickle Cell Disease. This genetic blood disorder affects an estimated 100,000 Americans, and nearly 250 million people worldwide. At least 4 million Americans carry the Sickle Cell Trait.
SCDAA oversees many programs that help affected individuals, including Newborn Screening, which ensures children born with Sickle Cell Disease get an early start at managing the disease as well as training hundreds of Community Health Workers across the country, which assist families, helping them to manage their healthcare strategy.
‘SCDAA advocates on behalf of children and individuals with Sickle Cell Disease for better access to care and treatment options, as well as the latest in medical research and the universal search for a cure, “ says SCDAA President and CEO Beverley Francis-Gibson, adding “Every day, children and individuals struggle living with Sickle Cell Disease. But, they are not alone in this fight. #WeBelieve is asking donors to join us and make a difference. ”
“#WeBelieve signifies the hope that, through all of our combined actions, there will be a cure for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in our lifetime,” adds Sonia Perkins, Director of Development and Special Initiatives.
Through your generous donations to SCDAA, come this year’s Giving Tuesday, please say #WeBelieve too!
Occurring this year on December 3, Giving Tuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and after the widely recognized Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping events to kick off the holiday giving season. It inspires people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.
To give to #WeBelieve, please visit www.sicklecelldisease.org and donate online. Or text “Break” with your dollar amount and your name to 50155. Other ways of giving include asking your Facebook friends and family to donate. Help spread the word by sharing #WeBelieve with your network.
Please join SCDAA and say, #WeBelieve too!
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About the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc’s mission is: To advocate for and enhance our membership’s ability to improve the quality of health, life and services for individuals, families and communities affected by sickle cell disease and related conditions, while promoting the search for a cure for all people in the world with sickle cell disease. Visit: www.sicklecelldisease.org.