“The more individuals that do talk about it, the more who are educated about it, the more likelihood it will lead to… hopefully… a cure one day in the future for those living with sickle cell disease,” says Malerie Hartsell with DHEC.
State health officials are taking steps to better treat people with sickle cell disease.
DHEC is encouraging residents to use this month as an opportunity learn more about the disease, ask questions, and voice their support for the more than 100,000 Americans that are affected by Sickle Cell Disease.
September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month
The measure calls on DHEC to create a voluntary registry of sickle cell patients in South Carolina, in order to study the prevalence of the disease in the state and improve the overall treatment of those patients.
According to the Red Cross, they are approaching a supply crisis due to the lack of donated blood in South Carolina. One Columbia mother is speaking out after her son who has sickle cell disease had to wait several days before receiving blood due to the shortage.
