Minnesota is home to 500+ pediatric sickle cell patients and an unknown number of adults who also live with the devastating effects of this excruciatingly painful blood disorder.

Sickle Cell Foundation of MN (SCFMN) is the ONLY active sickle cell community-based organization in the state of Minnesota.

Our Mission: Improving the lives of individuals and communities affected by sickle cell disease (SCD), sickle cell trait (SCT), and other hemoglobinopathies.

Our Values: Strong Individuals, Stron g Families, Equitable & Accessible Health Care, and Healthy Communities.

We exist to provide education, support, advocacy and exposure to Sickle Cell Disease as we give a face, a voice, and a purpose to a little-known community that has been under-served and ignored for far too long!

We cannot accomplish this work without YOU as a friend and financial partner of this critical work. 

Your donations are tax-deductible and will help continue us to provide on-going sickle cell education in schools and at community events, secure much-needed office space and build sustainable programs that meet the growing needs of hundreds of Minnesota families affected by this painful blood disease. 

 Donations can also be made via PayPal: www.PayPal.Me/SickleCellMN

To avoid standard fees that are deducted from your online donations, you can also mail your donation to: P.O. Box 22306, Minneapols, MN  55422 

Visit our website at: www.sicklecellmn.org

Support and follow: @SickleCellMN:

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More information about Sickle Cell Disease:

What is Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)?
The word ‘Sickle Cell Disease’ describes a group of inherited red blood cell disorders that include Hemoglobin SS (sickle cell anemia), Hemoglobin SC Disease, and Hemoglobin Sickle Beta Thalassemia. People with sickle cell disease produce an abnormal “S” type hemoglobin (Hgb) in their red blood cells. Instead of their red blood cells being a round, donut shape, the abnormal “S” hemoglobin is a banana or “sickle” shape. Hgb “S” can cause many problems and can prevent oxygen from getting to important parts of the body. These “sickle” shaped red blood cells clog the blood vessels, causing extreme pain and problems with different organs. 


What  is Sickle Cell Trait (SCT)?
Sickle Cell Trait means that a person carries one gene for “S” hemoglobin (associated with Sickle Cell Anemia) and one gene for type “A” (adult) hemoglobin. People with Sickle Cell Trait do not usually have health problems. However, people with Sickle Cell Trait may be at risk to have a child with Sickle Cell Disease.  One in every twelve (1 in 12) Black Americans has Sickle Cell Trait.


What causes Sickle Cell Disease? 
Sickle Cell Disease is inherited from parents like hair color or eye color. You cannot “catch” Sickle Cell Disease. When two people with Sickle Cell Trait have children together, they have a 1 in 4 or 25% chance to have a child with Sickle Cell Disease with each pregnancy. 


Who is most likely to have Sickle Cell Disease? 
In the United States, most patients with Sickle Cell Disease are of African, Hispanic or Mediterranean descent. While Sickle Cell Disease is most common in these populations, people of all ethnic backgrounds can have Sickle Cell Disease.

About 1 in 500 black babies and 1 in 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic babies are diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease each year in the United States. In the U.S. there is an estimated 100,000 (quite possibly more) individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease. 


Why should Sickle Cell Disease matter to me? 
Thanks to Newborn Screening laws, we know that there are approximately 25-30 babies born with Sickle Cell Disease each year in Minnesota. In addition, each year nearly 1,200 Minnesota babies are also identified as having sickle cell trait. Unfortunately, there is neither a Minnesota-based nor a national database to track these individuals throughout childhood and into adulthood. 

This has resulted in inadequate, inequitable, and negligent health care for individuals who depend on disease treatments, therapy medications, and pain management options for a seriously painful, life-threatening disease. 

While we continue to fight for adequate funding to increase research to find a cure, we must also passionately support, recognize and meet the needs of this under-served community. This is not only our goal...this is the foundation of our mission!