PEORIA, Ill. – September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and people in Peoria are looking to spread the word about the disease and its effects.
The Centers for Disease Control says sickle cell disease is a red blood cell disorder that is inherited. It causes the blood cells to become hard, sticky, and die early, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells.
Some of the symptoms include severe pain, organ damage, infections, and stroke. It affects around 100,000 Americans, mostly African-Americans.
One of those locally spreading awareness of sickle cell disease is Cecilia Buckner, whose son was born with the disease.
Seeing it firsthand with her son, Buckner says the symptoms never fully go away in a person.
“They start off with high-power pain medication as young children. And, as the disease progresses, so does the pain, and so does the pain medication,” Buckner said. “So as an adult, it becomes harder to treat to alleviate the pain.”
Buckner wants to raise awareness for the disease because she says everyone knows someone who’s affected by it.
Jackie Lewis has sickle cell disease, and was one of the people at a luncheon Wednesday afternoon at St. Paul’s Church in Peoria to raise awareness of the disease.
Lewis says not only do people with the disease not only have to treat it, but overcome some of the stigmas with sickle cell disease, such as being labeled as someone addicted to drugs because of the high amount of medication needed to treat it.
“I’m not drug seeking, I’m 62 years old, and I very rarely take medications or drugs. I only take what is prescribed to me by my physician,” Lewis said.
Lewis says it’s also important to show that people with sickle cell disease live normal lives, with an occasional pause when flare-ups occur.
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