Help us Define What is Sickle Cell?

National Sickle Cell Awareness Month

Throughout the month of August, I was asked, what are you doing this year for Sickle Cell Awareness Month? Every year I try to do something different and dynamic, but the exact concept wasn’t evident at first. In 2014, after visit St. Jude Children’s Hospital for the first time, I started #30forSickleCell. The purpose of the hashtag is to raise awareness about sickle cell disease for 30 days straight during the month of September. September is National Sickle Cell Awareness and most advocates raise awareness 365 days of the year, this is an opportunity for those outside of our community to begin to understand sickle cell better. This year I want to help answer “What is Sickle Cell?”

After the Sickle Cell Community’s 8th Annual Sickle Cell Convention, Allison McNeish author of Writing Out My Pain asked what will be our unified message this year. So instead of working on a solo campaign, I am partnering with some of the most passionate sickle cell advocates I know, Georgene Glass from Dream Sickle Kids and Jaimee Roque from DFW Sickle Cell Kids Crew. Both women have non-profit organizations that you should check out and support. After collaborating, we are sharing the messaging below.

Sickle Cell is more than just a genetic blood disorder where the first US case was recorded in 1910. Sickle Cell disease is a variety of things, so every day for 30 days, we are shedding light on what sickle cell is from people and events to what our real tangible needs are. Please look at the messages below and share your own in the comment section to create more images to amplify the voices of our sickle cell community members. 

All about the What is Sickle Cell Campaign

On behalf of National Sickle Cell Awareness Month we are sharing a Sickle Cell Campaign that is for all of us.

2021 we are collaborating together to show that sickle cell disease does matter to us all.

How do you participate? Share the image below and tell us what Sickle Cell is to you.

Action Steps To Participate in the What is Sickle Cell Campaign

  • Step 1. Download an image or video. Download images at (bit.ly/sicklecellis) and go to EXPORT to add them to your device.
  • Step 2. Save it to your device so you can upload and share.
  • Step 3. Add a caption and a minimum of these two hashtags: #SickleCellis and #30forSickleCell

Caption suggestion: (Feel free to add your own wording for each caption).

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness month. Sickle Cell is important to me because it is the most common genetic disorder in the world so today I am let others know more about it.

Join the conversation and share this post with your friends.

We Can’t Get the Word Out Without Your Help

For 30 days we will be sharing different messages about Sickle Cell Disease to shed light on the health disparities and the joys within the community. We need your support to help to amplify this message.

The first 15 messages will be as follows: want to share your own, leave a comment and let us know.

  1. Sickle Cell is more than pain.
  2. Sickle Cell is more than just a black disease.
  3. Sickle Cell is atypical.
  4. Sickle Cell is in need of more treatments.
  5. Sickle Cell is in need of your help.
  6. Sickle Cell is health literacy.
  7. Sickle Cell is genetic.
  8. Sickle Cell is complicated.
  9. Sickle Cell is a community of supporters.
  10. Sickle Cell is global.
  11. Sickle Cell is inter-generational.
  12. Sickle Cell is in need of more blood donations.
  13. Sickle Cell is in need of more mental health services.
  14. Sickle Cell is a disease that affects more than 250 million people worldwide.
  15. Sickle Cell is in need of more state and federal funding.

This campaign is a group effort by CleverlyChanging, DreamSickle Kids, and DFW Sickle Cell Kids Crew.

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