The Oklahoma Eagle Newswire
On Saturday, November 23, 2019, at the 36th Street North Event Center at 1125 E. 36th Street North, Tulsa, OK, 74106, the Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell Disease will host their 15th Sickle Cell Awareness Gala.
A reception will begin promptly at 5:30 pm, followed by a program with dinner served at 6 pm. Semi-formal or formal attire is requested for those planning to attend and support the event. Tickets are $32 and will go to Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell Disease.
The keynote address for this year’s Gala will be delivered by Floritta Pope, coordinator of Minority Health and Health Equity for the State of Oklahoma.
This year the Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell Disease will honor One Gas (Black Leadership at One Gas), Nehemiah Frank (The Black Wall Street Times), Essence Williams (a Youth Sickle Cell Warrior), Amari Benson (Sickle Cell Warrior), Kejuan Morris (Sickle Cell Warrior), Jimmy Young (Sickle Cell Volunteer) and Jimmy Campton (a Fallen Sickle Cell Warrior.
Supporters of Families with Sickle Cell Disease (SFSCD) is a comprehensive community-based organization that services individuals and families living with sickle cell and thalassemia disease and trait in Oklahoma. SFSCD is the center of contact and community service provision for the estimated 40,000 Oklahomans with sickle cell trait and approximate 1,700 Oklahoma families living with sickle cell and thalassemia disease in Oklahoma.
SFSCD’s believes self-care management, education, research and development, and economic self-sufficiency is an approach that increases empowerment, advocacy, family self-efficacy, and support. We aspire to educate Oklahoma communities, break the sickle cell silence, and increase self-esteem; as we improve the overall quality of life for children, adults, and families living with sickle cell and thalassemia disease traits in Oklahoma
Sickle Cell Facts
SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans.
SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births.
SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American births.
About 1 in 13 Black or African-American babies is born with sickle cell trait (SCT).
If both parents have SCT, there is a 50% (or 1 in 2) chance that the child also will have SCT if the child inherits the sickle cell gene from one of the parents. Such children will not have symptoms of SCD, but they can pass SCT on to their children.
If both parents have SCT, there is a 25% (or 1 in 4) chance that the child will have SCD.
There is the same 25% (or 1 in 4) chance that the child will not have SCD or SCT.
If one parent has SCT, there is a 50% (or 1 in 2) chance that the child will have SCT and an equal 50% chance that the child will not have SCT.
