SICKLE CELL DISEASE IS THE MOST COMMON GENETIC DISORDER IN THE UNITED STATES. AN ESTIMATED 100,000 PEOPLE LIVE WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE IN THE UNITED STATES. UP TO 80% ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, BUT MANY DIFFERENT RACES ARE AFFECTED. MILLIONS ARE AFFECTED GLOBALLY.
SICKLE CELL DISEASE OCCURS AMONG ABOUT 1 OUT OF EVERY 500 AFRICAN-AMERICAN BIRTHS.
SICKLE CELL DISEASE IS A GROUP OF INHERITED RED BLOOD CELL DISORDERS THAT IS PRESENT AT BIRTH. TO HAVE THE DISEASE, BOTH SETS OF PARENTS MUST PASS DOWN SICKLE CELL GENES. THERE IS A 25% CHANCE IF BOTH PARENTS CARRY THE SICKLE CELL TRAIT. PEOPLE WHO HAVE SCT INHERIT ONE SICKLE CELL GENE FROM ONE PARENT AND ONE NORMAL GENE FROM THE OTHER PARENT. PEOPLE WITH SCT USUALLY DO NOT HAVE ANY SIGNS OF THE DISEASE AND LIVE A NORMAL LIFE, BUT THEY CAN PASS THE TRAIT ON TO THEIR CHILDREN.
SICKLE CELL TRAIT OCCURS AMONG ABOUT 1 IN 12 AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
SICKLE CELL DISEASE IS DIAGNOSED WITH A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST. IT MOST OFTEN IS FOUND AT BIRTH DURING ROUTINE NEWBORN SCREENING TESTS AT THE HOSPITAL. BECAUSE CHILDREN WITH SCD ARE AT AN INCREASED RISK OF INFECTION AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS, EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT ARE IMPORTANT.
SICKLE CELL DISEASE IS CHRONIC BUT TREATABLE ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO SINGLE BEST TREATMENT FOR ALL PEOPLE WITH SCD. TREATMENT OPTIONS ARE DIFFERENT FOR EACH PERSON DEPENDING ON THE SYMPTOMS WHICH CAN RANGE FROM MILD TO SEVERE.
THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL CURE FOR SICKLE CELL DISEASE AND THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS NOW IN THE MID-FORTIES OF AGE .
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT I, MANUEL FIGUEIREDO, MAYOR OF THE TOWNSHIP OF UNION, IN THE COUNTY OF UNION, STATE OF NEW JERSEY, ON BEHALF OF THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 2015 SICKLE CELL AWARENESS MONTH IN THE TOWNSHIP OF UNION IN ORDER TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF SICKLE CELL DISEASE AND ITS VICTIMS.