Sickle Cell warriors rally for awareness

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. (KAIT) - A Northeast Arkansas event bought awareness to warriors in the community fighting a rare disease.

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, to bring awareness to the struggles those with the disease face and how others can help, many gathered in Blytheville to rally and walk.

Most people are born with round red blood cells, the red blood cells in Sickle Cell patents resemble a crescent moon.

Khadijah Jenkins is a community member that has been diagnosed with the disease.

Some days Jenkins can barely get out of bed, and other days she is just fine. How she feels is dependent on the weather and many other variables.

Jenkins had a rough start to the day because of the significant temperature change.

“I sort of had a crisis this morning because it was colder in the 50s and 60s and now it is warming up,” said Jenkins.

When the pain hits, it can sometimes be unbearable, Jenkins hurts from head to toe during a crisis.

“It makes our joints hurt, you can have just overall pain, and your spleen can hurt, it is just a lot of ache and pain,” said Jenkins.

According to the CDC, Sickle Cell Anemia is rare, only affecting less than 100,000 Americans.

The rarity of the disease forces Jenkins to travel over an hour to Memphis to see her hematologist.

“If I am in Blytheville I have to go to Memphis, Tennessee because not everyone knows how to treat sickle cell,” said Jenkins.

Since the disease affects the red blood cells, one of the only treatments is blood transfusions.

For Jenkins and so many others across the globe, they are in desperate need of blood.

“I want to see them come out and donate blood, and to know that it is actually saving lives, and what it is doing but I am the one who is needing your blood,” said Jenkins.

Jenkins spent two weeks in the ICU after giving birth to her child. Many things we take for granted could easily put her in the hospital or worse. “So it is like the simple things people enjoy, like childbirth or having a child and daily things, that is something that can kill us instantly,” said Jenkins.

The community of Blytheville will continue to come together every September to educate people about the disease.

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