Two warriors, same diagnosis, completely different lives. 🕯️ Sickle cell isn't one disease: HbSS, HbSC, HbS beta thalassemia and rarer types each show up differently. Your story is yours. Share this with someone who thinks it's one thing. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

1 in 13 Black babies in the U.S. is born with sickle cell trait, and most never know. 🧬 Two parents with trait means a 1 in 4 chance per pregnancy of a child with sickle cell. One blood test answers it. Ask your doctor. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

"I'll schedule it after this crisis." 🎀 The USPSTF now recommends a mammogram every other year from 40 to 74, and about 2,670 men will be diagnosed this year too. Ask your care team how to fit screening into your sickle cell plan. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

Nobody tells you what happens to your body AFTER the hospital stay. 👟 Every crisis costs strength, and sickling in the hips can damage the joint itself. October is Physical Therapy Month. Ask your care team whether PT belongs in your plan. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

"How are you?" "Good, you?" Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day. Ask a warrior how they're really doing, then stay for the answer. If it's heavy, 988 is free and confidential, any hour. Check on one person today. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

"I'm fine." In the PiSCES study of 232 adults with sickle cell, 27.6% were living with depression, and they had pain on 71% of days vs 50% for everyone else. Mental health care is sickle cell care. Ask your care team at your next visit. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

A water bottle on a desk shouldn't be a battle. 🎒 Section 504 is federal law, and the Dept of Education's 2024 fact sheet names water, restroom and rest breaks, make-up work and modified PE for kids with sickle cell. Need a 504 plan? DM us. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

Your red blood cells live about four months. A sickled one? Two weeks, tops. 🩸 That's why a warrior's tired is different from your tired. Share this with the friend who always shows up. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

September's ending. Sickle cell isn't. Carry this forward: when somebody tells you they're in pain, BELIEVE THEM the first time. Awareness has an end date. Advocacy doesn't. ❤️ sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

Thank You, Vertex!♥️ Our Champion Sponsor for the 16th Annual Steps for Sickle Cell Walk on Sept 19. Thank you for walking with us and being part of our 45-year legacy!🎉 #ThankYouVertex #StepsForSickleCell #45YearsOfUEO

One share. That's it. That's the whole ask. Stigma grows when a story goes untold and people fill the gap with assumptions. Every real story replaces an assumption with a person. 📣 sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

A special thank you to Drunken Fiddles 🎻 They brought violins and cellos to our 16th Annual Steps for Sickle Cell walk on Sept 19 and filled the morning with live music. Thank you! sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

100,000 Americans live with this. Most people can't name ONE symptom. Sickle cell is the most common inherited blood disorder in the US and one of the most underfunded for its size. Awareness changes funding. 🌍 sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

Ever had to cancel on your friends AGAIN? If you live with sickle cell you know that specific kind of lonely. Community is the counterweight. Tag somebody who's shown up for you. ❤️ sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

Not all sickle cell pain shows up on a scan. Depression and anxiety are more common in people living with SCD, and both are treatable. Mental health care belongs in the care plan. 988 is there any hour, free and confidential. 💙 sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

Real talk: somebody's next good month is sitting in a blood bag right now. Patients do best with closely matched blood, which most often comes from donors of the same background. Black donors are essential. One hour. 🩸 sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

Did you know sickle cell can affect the BRAIN? Silent cerebral infarcts are small strokes with no obvious symptoms that can still affect memory and learning. Ask your care team about MRI and cognitive screening. 🧠 sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

Y'ALL SHOWED UP. Warriors, families, first timers, sponsors, and volunteers who were there before sunrise. Every step said the same thing out loud: people living with sickle cell MATTER here. ❤️ sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

This week is written into Missouri LAW. 📖 RSMo 9.236 makes Sept 20 to 26 Missouri Sickle Cell Awareness Week. And every baby born here is screened for sickle cell at birth. Recognition is how a state decides what to fund. sicklecellmidwest.org #SickleCell

IT'S TODAY! 🎉 We walk at NINE at the Lodge by the Lake. Not registered? Come anyway, walk up registration is open at the table and warriors always walk free. Tag your photos #StepsForSickleCell! Sat Sept 19, 9AM, Lodge by the Lake, KCK sicklecellmidwest.org #StepsForSickleCell