Sick Cells Wants to Hear from You in January!

New Year, New Updates From Sick Cells.

Welcome to 2017! We ended last year thanking all those who helped Sick Cells grow in 2016, and we would like to start this year by thanking you, again, for still being here. This year, we have so many exciting things planned and we cannot wait to share them with all our current and future supporters.

To get things started, we are launching an exciting new series on our Instagram. Starting in February, we will have #TakeoverTuesdays! Individuals will takeover our Sick Cells page and show our community what their typical day is like living with SCD.

First up, we have a Tiahna. Tiahna is a 14-year old avid reader, bowler, and basketball player with sickle cell hemoglobin (Hgb) SS. Please follow us on Instagram at @sickcells_documentary and see Tiahna's #mySCDlife on February 7th.

Finally, this year, we want to continue hearing from those affected by SCD. Whether you are living with SCD, carry the trait, or are a caregiver, we want to hear and share your story. More details on this will be featured below.

But first...

I started 2017 feeling pretty fatigue and sick, but I am grateful I haven't been hospitalized. I've had plenty of blood transfusions and avoided the cold weather by all means. Since I know that extreme cold puts me into crisis, I stayed indoors for as many days I could, only leaving the house for doctor's appointments. I managed to keep busy while staying indoors. I had fun making homemade pizzas with the family and chatting with my sickle cell family via Xbox.

Last year, I said I was going to be "super healthy", and I ended up being hospitalized a few times. So this year, I'm going to be "super sick", so I can stay home, haha. Superstitions aside, my goal for 2017 is to stay healthy. I'm working on changing my diet to eat healthier foods. I get monthly massages for my chronic pain. I also am exploring acupuncture as a form of therapy for my pain. I'm really looking forward to getting a new Port-a-Cath sometime this year. It's the little catheter in my chest so I don't have to get IVs anymore. This will make my frequent trips to hospital much better. Here's to staying positive in 2017!

In 2017, we want to hear from you.

If you followed Sick Cells last year, you're probably familiar with some of the faces below. Our team spent time meeting and interviewing individuals affected by SCD. We met with an adult sickle cell support group in Chicago, and took over the National Mall in Washington, D.C. at the annual Stomp Out Sickle Cell 5K.

In an effort to continue our #FacesofSCD campaign, we want to hear your stories. Each month we will feature a new story in our newsletter. It is our mission to continue to elevate the voices of the sickle cell community. We believe your individual unique stories can help us.

If you have a story you're willing to share, we would love to hear it and add your face to our gallery. Please contact Amanda, amandavassall@sickcells.com, to set up an interview. We get a lot of emails, so be patient with us while we respond.

Sick Cells' website is now live!

Our new website is up and running. We would love if you checked it out and shared it with your family & friends. The new site has a gallery featuring some of our past #FacesofSCD.

A huge thanks to our web developer Joseph Voynne and our illustrator Tanya Tainter. If you like their work, let us know. We'll put you in touch with them!

New Year, New Updates From Sick Cells.

A Minute With Marqus

In 2017, we want to hear from you.

Sick Cells' website is now live!