Las Vegas, Sep 21, 2020 (Issuewire.com) - Dreamsickle Kids Foundation, Inc., the first Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) organization in Nevada, will be hosting their 3rd, virtually and in-person (with limited attendance due to COVID-19), to raise awareness about sickle cell disease and fundraise to provide support for individuals impacted by this rare disease. Sickle cell disease is a red blood cell disorder that affects approximately 70,000 to 100,000 Americans.
This year's walk will be unique because it will be held at the new comprehensive Sickle Cell Clinic in Las Vegas, the Sickle Cell Center of Nevada (SCCNV). The clinic is an extension of the Hemostasis and Thrombosis Center of Nevada (HTCNV), the only federally designated hemophilia treatment center in the state. As the first clinic capable of treating children and adults with SCD in Nevada, SCCNV is the only federal grantee for the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program and will be led by a renowned hematologist and oncologist, Dr. Nik Abdul-Rashid, who has been treating and advocating for people with SCD since 2005.
This clinic is the product of the hard work and dedication of Dr. Rashid and patients with SCD and their families, who championed the passing of AB 254. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Dina Neal in 2019, this historical bill was the catalyst for the creation of this clinic, Nevada's first comprehensive sickle cell clinic. This walk and the introduction of the clinic arrive on the heels of the President again declaring September Sickle Cell Awareness Month and the First Lady meeting with several SCD patients and advocates to discuss ways in which America can further support patients with SCD.
Many of Nevada's politicians, state agencies, and nonprofits have publicly supported the Dreamsickle Kids Foundation, such as the Nevada Office of Minority Health and Equity (NOMHE) led by Tina Dortch, Dignity Health, the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation, and Cure 4 the Kids Foundation, which was for a long time the only clinic in Nevada treating children with SCD. Congresswoman Susie Lee, who last year became the second Nevada politician to join the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus at the request of Gina Glass, a local resident, mother of a child with SCD, and founder of the Dreamsickle Kids Foundation.
This celebration of the new clinic is a hopeful and historical moment for SCD awareness across America and particularly in Nevada, where just two years ago, there was little conversation about this rare disease that primarily affects African Americans in this state. The event will take place online and in-person on September 27th at the HTCNV/SCCNV clinic located at 8352 W. WARM SPRINGS RD, Las Vegas, NV 89113
Please register for this event at:
https://runsignup.com/Race/NV/LasVegas/LVSCDWALK2020. For more information and ways to support visit www.dreamsickle.org. You can also donate by texting "DREAMSICKLE" to 44-321.
Dreamsickle Kids Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)(3) charity, all donations are tax-deductible, receipt upon request.
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Media Contact
PERIWINKLE GROUP
Jamie Barrett
Source : Dreamsickle Kids Foundation, Inc
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