St. Jude patients Ari'Yanna and Ariyah
Sickle Cell Awareness Month
Join St. Jude in September as we honor children with sickle cell disease, as well as focus on research and treatment for this genetic blood disorder.
What is sickle cell disease?
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that affects a person’s red blood cells.
What does sickle cell disease do?
Normal red blood cells contain hemoglobin A, which carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, which causes the red blood cells to change from the round shape to a banana or “sickle” shape. Some complications from sickle cell disease include:
• stroke
• organ damage
• pain
• infections
• painful swelling of hands and feet
• fatigue
More than 500,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease worldwide each year.
St. Jude has been dedicated to finding a cure for SCD since before the hospital first opened its doors. In fact, our first research grant was for the study of SCD. St. Jude is currently in the middle of a bold plan for saving the lives of children around the globe — extending clinical research for sickle cell disease beyond symptom management to finding cures.
Sickle cell disease affects about 100,000 people in the U.S. It occurs in about 1 out of every 365 Black or African American births. It occurs in about 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic American births.
St. Jude has one of the largest sickle cell disease treatment programs in the country. Children with SCD are treated in this program from birth through age 18. Once patients turn 18, the St. Jude-Methodist-Regional One Sickle Cell Disease Transition Clinic helps them move to adult care. The clinic works to reduce long-term disease complications and deaths from SCD. The transition clinic has continued to grow and now includes participation from the Diggs-Kraus Sickle Adult Cell Center.
About 1 in 13 Black or African American babies in the U.S. is born with the sickle cell trait.
Sickle cell trait (SCT) is a change (mutation) in a gene that affects the hemoglobin in red blood cells. The trait does not usually cause health problems, but people with SCT can pass the genes for sickle cell disease on to their children. A blood test can determine if you have sickle cell trait.
St. Jude is a leader in developing groundbreaking clinical trials for blood disorders and other serious childhood diseases.
St. Jude patient Courtney
St. Jude research is transforming treatment of sickle cell disease
Patients like Courtney are thriving thanks to decades of innovation — from the BABY HUG trial to new data-driven studies shaping the future of care.
St. Jude sickle cell disease patients and sisters Ari'Yanna (left) and Ariyah
Sisters with sickle cell disease: 'They know each other's pain'
St. Jude helps sisters Ari'Yanna and Ariyah manage complications of sickle cell disease together with hope and resilience.
St. Jude patient Bailey
Bailey lives active life with sickle cell disease
St. Jude improves quality of life for young sickle cell patients with use of medicine that reduces life threatening symptoms of the disease.
St. Jude patient Kimberlin
First to be cured of sickle cell disease, Kimberlin relishes the joy of each day
St. Jude research is transforming treatment of sickle cell disease
In 1983, when she was 8 years old, something remarkable happened to Kimberlin. A bone marrow transplant, which doctors at St. Jude had intended to treat her acute myeloid leukemia, cured not only the cancer, but her sickle cell disease as well.
(L to R) First author Aditya Barve, PhD, St. Jude Department of Hematology, co-corresponding author Akshay Sharma, MBBS, MSc, St. Jude Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, and senior co-corresponding author Shannon McKinney-Freeman, PhD, St. Jude Department of Hematology
Premature blood stem cell aging in sickle cell disease may be reversible
Scientists at St. Jude found that prematurely old blood stem cells from sickle cell disease may be treatable with anti-aging drugs, and highlight a needed improvement to gene therapies.
Published in Blood, co-corresponding author Jian Xu, PhD, and co-first author Kaili Wang, PhD, St. Jude Department of Pathology, in a collaborative effort with Northwestern University, found a novel treatment opportunity for sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia by probing the mechanism for gene therapy.
Gene therapy for sickle cell and β-thalassemia works by disrupting three-dimensional genome structure
Scientists find a novel treatment opportunity for sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia by uncovering the mechanism of the first CRISPR-based gene therapy.
Akshay Sharma, MD, (left) introduced St. Jude patient Donte to the gene therapy treatment that would change his life and cure his sickle cell disease.
Gene therapy cures young chef’s sickle cell disease
A clinical trial using gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease would use Donte’s own edited blood stem cells to make healthy red blood cells.
Unlike other hospitals, the majority of funding for St. Jude comes from generous donors. Your support ensures that familes never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.
And St. Jude cares for some of the world’s sickest children regardless of their race, ethnicity, beliefs or ability to pay. Our patients receive the customized care they need to treat childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases — like sickle cell — no matter what barriers they may face.
-
A platelet count test
Your $14 gift could help provide one platelet count test for a St. Jude patient.*
-
-
Patient meals
Your $50 gift could provide two days of meals to a patient.*
-
Medical teaching dolls
Your $75 gift could help provide medical teaching dolls for St. Jude patients. Child Life Specialists use dolls and real medical equipment to teach patients about procedures to make them less intimidating.*
-
Sickle cell transition packet
Your $100 gift could help provide one sickle cell transition packet to a teen patient who is transitioning to adult care.
*When you make a donation using this information, your donation will be used to provide breakthrough research, treatment and cures. Items listed here are representative of services and supplies that are part of the treatment and care of children at St. Jude. The cost of each item or service is an approximation, and will vary based on actual costs incurred and individual patient needs. Your donation will be used for the general operating needs of St. Jude, where no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food.
Sickle Cell Awareness Month FAQs
-
Sickle Cell Awareness Month is a time to honor patients with sickle cell disease and to focus on research and treatment for this genetic blood disorder.
-
National Sickle Cell Awareness Awareness Month is in September.
-
Burgundy or dark red is the color that signifies sickle cell awareness.
-
Burgundy or dark red is the color that signifies sickle cell awareness.
-
World Sickle Cell Day is every June 19.
-
September is the awareness month for several kinds of cancer in addition to Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Observance months held in September include:
- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
- Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
- Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
- Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month
- Uterine Cancer Awareness Month
You may be interested in:
-
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month | September
In September, St. Jude raises awareness of pediatric cancer research. Join us this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
-
Research at St. Jude
At St. Jude, science matters. From molecular breakthroughs to innovative therapies, our research discovers the cures of tomorrow, and saves children's lives today.
-
Our unique operating model
There are great research institutions, great hospitals and great charities — we’re all three. See how we’re funded, how our operating model works and our plans for the future.
-
Why support St. Jude?
Learn how supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital helps pediatric cancer patients worldwide.
-
Sickle Cell Timeline
Scientific milestones mark the progress made by St. Jude toward finding a cure for sickle cell disease.
-
World Sickle Cell Day
Give a gift of hope this World Sickle Cell Day. Support St. Jude families with a one-time or monthly donation and help advance lifesaving research.
-
How does St. Jude use donations?
Learn more about St. Jude, how we use donations and our lifesaving mission. Join us by donating today.
-
Our legacy
Equity and inclusion have been at the heart of the St. Jude mission since it opened in 1962.