by Terri DeeIndiana News Service
Sickle cell disease causes normally healthy, round, and flexible blood cells to become 'C' or sickle-shaped and stick to small blood-vessel walls.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the life-shortening blood disease sickle cell anemia affects about 100,000 Americans, mostly people of color. And many individuals with the illness do not get the important screenings and treatments.
Healthy red blood cells.
Illustration: allinonemovie/Pixabay
Sickle cell disease causes normally healthy, round, and flexible blood cells to become 'C' or sickle-shaped and stick to small blood-vessel walls. This blockage prevents blood and oxygen flow to the arms, legs, and internal organs. Around 1,700 Hoosiers, mostly women of color, are impacted by the disorder. Lisa Hoffman, grants and team manager with Innovative Hematology, said she would like to see better public awareness about the inherited disease. "I would like to think it's not an issue about race, but 87% of the people in Indiana that have sickle cell are Black or African American," said Hoffman. "There are other diseases that affect predominantly white folks, and those diseases seem to get a bit more attention." Patient education is essential for addressing sickle cell anemia complications. The blockages cause repeated episodes of severe pain, organ damage, infections, or sometimes a stroke. Innovative Hematology indicates that 52% of sickle cell anemia patients in Indiana are female, and 48% are male. One barrier to care is insufficient or no insurance coverage, which affects disease management. Another is a lack of medical providers with knowledge of detecting the illness. This can lead to a misdiagnosis or prescribing an ineffective treatment plan. Hoffman said family members in dual roles as caregivers often do not get needed support. And other factors can present additional burdens for a patient. "If you're a single mom and you have sickle cell disease and you are having a pain crisis and really should go to the hospital," said Hoffman, "you face a lot of barriers - such as, who's going to watch my child? How am I going to get there?" The Indiana Statehouse hosted 174 attendees for Sickle Cell Advocacy Day last week, to raise the voices of those in the community who are affected by the painful disorder. Hoffman said she wants legislators to extend health care services beyond age 21 for individuals with this specific condition.
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The UPD is asking anyone with information on either incident to please come forward. Passing along any information that someone may have will make Champaign-Urbana safe.
"Your cooperation is vital to our efforts to ensure justice and safety in our community," the police department said in a release on Feb. 9. "Urbana Police ask that anyone who has additional information please call 217-384-2320. Arrangements can be made for information to be shared privately. "
The Criminal Investigations Division is asking residents or businesses in the nearby area with exterior surveillance camera systems for video footage which may help bring the criminals to justice quickly.
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at 217-373-TIPS (217-373-8477); online at 373tips.com; or the “P3 Tips” mobile app.
Crime Stoppers is completely anonymous. Calls are routed a to third-party national call center that receives your information, completes a tip information form, and then passes the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency. Caller ID tracking is not utilized by Crime Stoppers, and conversations are not recorded.
Crime Stoppers will pay cash rewards of $5,000 for tips that lead to an arrest in any homicide case, $2,500 for tips leading to an arrest in a felony crime involving a firearm, and up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for any other crime.
