Hello Sickle Cell Warriors, Welcome to our new e-newsletter! Throughout the year, we will be sending this newsletter to you on a biweekly basis. We are glad to be writing to you and hope you find this interesting.

Tomorrow is another one of our AEP sessions! We welcome Victor Reynolds! An entrepreneur, who will be presenting on Self-Identity.

Victor Reynolds was born and raised in San Francisco CA. After graduating from Saint Ignatius College Prep, he went on to study computer science and earn his Bachelors from the University of La Verne in La Verne CA. After playing basketball for his high school and college teams, he went on to play Semi-professional basketball in San Francisco. While playing semi-professional basketball, he worked a day job as a software engineer in the video game industry and coached basketball for the San Francisco Champions, an AAU basketball program that he is also a founder of.
 
After working in the video game industry for 10 years, Victor went from a part time land investor to a full time an entrepreneur. Using his extensive coaching and basketball background, he was able to find success in entrepreneurship as well as teach and mentor others looking to achieve the same success. As an author, business and mindset coach, he has used his experience and training to create a formula for success that he has been teaching to his players and clients. You can see more of his work at victordreynolds.com 

Click here to register to our AEP session

Advocacy & Empowerment Session
June 12th, 2021 at 11 AM PST
 
Don't know what Advocacy and Empowerment is? OR wanting to know what our is? Check this out below!
 
Do you know anyone or does someone in your family have 
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)?
Are you a caregiver or advocate?
 
The Advocacy and Empowerment Program is created for all stakeholders: clients & families, caregivers, medical students, medical professionals, and advocates. It is designed to explore advocacy and educate to be empowered. 
 
The Advocacy and Empowerment Program consists of one 3 hour webinar designed to empower attendees with core educational content on SCD (Sickle Cell Disease); pain management; emergency preparedness, and the exploration of self-advocacy.
 
There will be a variety of presenters’ clients, nurses, physicians, medical professionals, and business professionals sharing and discussing important issues that affect the sickle cell community. It is SCAA's hope that these sessions will help to create a clearer understanding of all the stakeholders' roles as we develop a better perception.
 
 Due to COVID-19 all of the sessions will be conducted thru Zoom video conference until such time we can meet in person. The sign on information will be sent to you through Evite. You will also receive a recording of the zoom session.

Click here to learn more about our AEP sessions

News from our Sickle Cell Community

Mitochondrial DNA Carried in Blood May Trigger Inflammation in Sickle Cell
 
By: Marta Figueiredo, PhD
 
People with sickle cell anemia have higher levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) — DNA specific to mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses — circulating in the blood than healthy individuals, likely due to the abnormal retention of mitochondria in red blood cells, a study has found.
Notably, patients’ mtDNA was found to have significantly fewer chemical modifications relative to healthy people, and to trigger the formation of immune-related traps that promote inflammation.

Click here to read this article

FDA Clears Way for Phase 1 Trial of Low-dose Oral Carbon Monoxide
 
By: Forest Ray, PhD
 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for a Phase 1 trial of HBI-002, Hillhurst Biopharmaceuticals‘ oral carbon monoxide treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD). The trial will assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (how the therapy moves through the body) of single and multiple doses of the compound in healthy subjects. The study is expected to begin mid-year.

Click here to read this article

Spoken Word Poetry Contest Open to Sickle Cell Patients, Caregivers
 
By: Marisa Wexler, MS
 
A spoken word poetry contest is welcoming submissions from people with sickle cell disease (SCD) and their caregivers. The contest, “Lift Every Voice to Shine the Light on Sickle Cell,” is being jointly launched by Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) in honor of World Sickle Cell Day, observed on June 19.

Click here to read this article

 
Be on the lookout for our bi-weekly newsletters! The beginning and end of every month.
 
Check out our SCAASF website for upcoming events, blood drives, etc.
 
Check out our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we post upcoming events and the latest news.
 
If you've missed previous AEP sessions or haven't check out our YOUTUBE Channel don't forget to do and subscribe to our channel can continue growing and spreading awareness to the general public as well as having the Sickle Cell community voices heard.