Today was the annual Sickle Cell Festival at Charl...

Today was the annual Sickle Cell Festival at Charles Drew University (CDU). Drew is a HBCU (Historically Black University) located in Los Angeles. Charles Drew, MD was a physician-surgeon and the father of American blood banking. He created a blood banking system to aid military healthcare professionals with the medical treatment of American soldiers during WWII. He also was the first to separate plasma from blood and show that it alone can be just as effective as whole blood. CDU os a medical school and public health institution. The school is also associated with the MLK Jr. Community Hospital.

MLK Jr. Hospital is a free LA county hospital that provides medical services to everyone. It is also a very special hospital because it's the only one of its kind to offer medical treatment to adult sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. This is very important because once SCD patients age out of pediatric care, having their crises managed at regular hospitals can be very challenging. Most SCD patients go to the Emergency Room when they're in pain. Unfortunately, most ER personnel know nothing about SCD. And when these patients show up, they're complaining about extreme pain that has no traditionally familiar ailment to account for it. Additionally, what makes them suspucious is that they have many track marks on their arms (they receive monthly blood transfusions). They are also often able to tell the doctor exactly what type of pain medication, and/or dosage (which is often very high) they need. As a result, they are almost always automatically labeled as drug addicts looking for a hit. Luckily, SCD experts such as Dr. Elliott Vichinsky of Children's hospital Oakland have created Passports for SCD patients aging out of pediatric care, to take with them to the ER. The Passport describes to the ER personnel what sickle cell is and how it presents during a crisis. This very simple provision has saved many lives. Hopefully, these Passports will be implemented nationwide. Those lucky enough to go directly to MLK Jr do not need a Passport, as the hospital is familiar with the disease and exactly how to manage the crisis.
Today wasn't about any of that though. We are here to celebrate brave children and adults with food, popcorn, entertainment, and so much Halloween candy!

PSA: If you are in a black\black relationship and are planning on starting a family, PLEASE be responsible and have yourselves tested for the sickle cell mutation. Happy Saturday, y'all!