News

SCDAA mourns the loss of prominent pediatric hematologist and sickle cell provider Dr. Winfred Wang, who passed away on April 9 at the age of 82. Dr. Wang practiced at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He helped to pioneer the use of hydroxyurea for children with sickle cell disease through his research, The post In Memory of Dr. Winfred Wang appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

With great sadness, SCDAA shares the news of the loss of Dr. Gwendolyn Poles-Corker on April 8, 2025. The 71-year-old was a trailblazing physician, educator, advocate and sickle cell warrior. She passed away from complications of her disease, but she never let it hold her back. She overcame the odds and brought healing and care The post In Memory of Dr. Gwendolyn Poles-Corker appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc., a national nonprofit membership organization that advocates for people affected by sickle cell disease, named Natasha Thomas as events and special projects manager. Thomas previously worked for the association, including as an events consultant for the last three years.  In her new position, Thomas will manage the planning, The post SCDAA names events manager appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

Last week, the Trump administration announced drastic changes and reductions to federal health programs that support the sickle cell disease community. Specifically, on April 1, all the staff that oversee the Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were terminated. We are very concerned about the future The post Advocacy Alert: Save the Sickle Cell Data Collection Program appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

SCDAA is aware of and monitoring the measles outbreaks that have been reported in several states. There is a fair amount of confusion and misinformation online and in the media about how to protect yourself and your family during this time. Parents of young children may be feeling especially anxious and overwhelmed, particularly if your The post SCDAA Statement on the Measles Outbreak appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

As Black History Month ends, we would like to look to the future for our final #SCDHistoryHighlight at the amazing work organizations across the country are doing to create a safer environment for our community. We’ve seen many landmark decisions and groundbreaking treatments in the more than 50 years since SCDAA’s founding, but one thing The post Black History Month: Our Current Member Organizations appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

After our founding, one of SCDAA’s earliest goals was to ensure the National Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act of 1972 was passed. With our early member organizations in tow, Dr. Whitten and the association began to advocate for this landmark piece of legislation. Our #SCDHistoryHighlight this week looks at why this act was so important The post Black History Month: National Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

Last week, we learned about the origins of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) and the vision for a national coordinated approach to addressing sickle cell disease. This week, our #SCDHistoryHighlight draws attention to the important community-based organizations that joined us in our fight and served as our foundation. During the summer The post Black History Month: Our Early Member Organizations appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

Our first #SCDHistoryHighlight for Black History Month brings attention to the life and work of SCDAA co-founder Dr. Charles F. Whitten. Dr. Whitten was a pediatric hematologist whose dedication to supporting the health of sickle cell patients paved the way for advances in screening, education and more. His pioneering work makes him one of the most The post Black History Month 2025: Dr. Charles F. Whitten appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..

Feb. 5, 2025 – On January 30, 2025, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) published a report that found no evidence to support that physical activity can cause sudden death for individuals with sickle cell trait (SCT) without rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) or heat injury. The article also found that there is not a high-level of The post MARAC Statement: ASH Report on Exercise and SCT Crisis Risk appeared first on Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Inc..