Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Kansas City Chapter
Welcome
The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Kansas City Chapter, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation chartered in the state of Missouri with an 501(c)3 tax status since November 1976. We are an affiliate and member of the national organization, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. who has offices located in Baltimore, Maryland.
Our mission is to educate the public about sickle cell disease, with special emphasis given to people of child bearing age, while improving the quality of life with direct services for patients and their families that suffer from sickle cell disease.
Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle Cell Disease was discovered in the United States over 100 years ago and because of the unique characteristics of sickle cell disease modern science uses it as the prototypical genetic disease. Sickle cell disease is as inherited defect in the blood. The disease is named for the sickle shape that it gives to normally round blood cells. The sickle-shaped cells clog the bloodstream, causing obstructions that can result in serious medical problems. Sickle cell is not contagious to have it a child must inherit two abnormal genes, one from each parent. With only one gene, he or she will have the sickle cell trait. Approximately 54,000 babies are born each year with sickle cell trait. In the United States sickle cell disease is most common in African Americans and those of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian ancestry. There are between 70,000-80,000 Americans with sickle cell disease and 3.5 million with related disorders.Poster Child 2010
