A celebration of support for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Northeast Florida Chapter was held this weekend at St. Paul A.M.E. Church. Nearly two hundred friends and well-wishers of families with Sickle Cell Anemia gathered to honor those who work to make the organization a community success. President Ben Greene, whose daughter’s heroic struggle with Sickle Cell adorns the scholarship name, “warned that we should not take this disease lightly, it causes too many problems for too many people and we are here to help”.
Seven recipients were honored including: John Azar of Azar’s Sausage; It’s Fashion; PHAT Ryders Morotcycle Club; Grainger Corporation; Winifred Houston Zanders and Russ Jackson of Walgreen Pharmacy rewarded for their outstanding assistance in Sickle Cell program development. Banquet Chair, Alpha G. Hay received the President’s Award for her outstanding support and leadership of the chapter.
Selena Webster Bass, Director of Curriculum Development Company delivered an enlightening and compassionate keynote address, focusing on spiritual well -being, multicultural consciousness and health equity. Webster-Bass spoke to the audience, “ Sickle Cell patients have a God-given ‘heroic specialness’ to excel on earth despite their handicap and will benefit from their recovery success. Many famous people have overcome the stigmas of Sickle cell and you can too!”
Dr. C.B. McIntosh, Medical Director, also addressed the audience, “Sickle cell patients, due to illness absenteeism, face social issues in an adverse manner in domestic affairs, education, employment, and medical care and we like to think we can help them in these matters,” he said.
The Sickle Cell Disease Association, NFC engages in individual and group public screening sessions for sickle cell trait carriers, with follow-up education and counseling, all free services. For more information contact E. Rogers at (904) 271-0604 for further information on scheduling testing.
Be the first to comment