When it comes to Sickle Cell Disease, the numbers do not lie. This inherited red blood cell disorder, which can lead to repeated episodes of severe pain, organ damage and strokes, affects approximately 15 percent of African-American children, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 2 million Americans, or one in 12 African Americans and one in 16 Hispanics carry the sickle cell trait.
The numbers may not lie, but the numbers also do not tell the story. The story is young parents in a hospital emergency room watching their infant child writhing in pain, discovering then that they carry a genetic trait that caused this crisis. The story is your friend, who looks like you only smaller, is playing with you one day and the next, your friend is in the hospital in excruciating pain. The story is every black person you talk to knows someone affected by Sickle Cell. The sad story is hearing repeatedly , “I did not know Sickle Cell was still around,”or “I thought that they had found a cure.” The story is despite progress made, no cure has been found. The story is that with a short blood test, we can substantially reduce the number of children affected by this disease.
As people of faith, we believe that God expects us to do something with the knowledge and the resources that we have been given. Furthermore, we also believe that faith without works is meaningless, that when faced with a challenge or a crisis, we must act. These core convictions are why Florida Avenue Baptist Church’s health initiative and outreach ministry has begun an annual Mo’ Than Jazz Sickle Cell Benefit Concert. This year’s concert will be held at the church on Saturday, Nov. 19. The message of the concert is “If You’ve Got the Trait...Check Your Mate.” Funds raised by the concert will go to Faces of Our Children, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness, support, and funding for the fight against Sickle Cell Disease.
Right now, Sickle Cell still is the story of a disease that causes much pain and suffering, not only for those directly affected by the disease, but also for their families. However, by raising awareness, by using the resources we have been given, by using the knowledge we have been given, and by acting in the face of this crisis, we have the opportunity to change that story.
The Rev.Dr. Earl D. Trent Jr. is Senior Pastor at Florida Avenue Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
