Each year, June 19 marks World Sickle Cell Day, a moment when the world pauses to acknowledge a reality that millions live with daily—but often in silence. At Sickle Cell Warriors, Inc., we believe this day is not just about raising awareness of a disease. It’s about uplifting a community. It’s about honoring resilience. And it’s about driving forward a vision where no one’s life is defined by sickle cell.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is not invisible—but it is often overlooked. Affecting approximately over 20 million people worldwide, primarily those of African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and South Asian descent, SCD is a global health issue that too often flies under the radar of major research, policy, and public empathy. The pain crises, organ damage, fatigue, and shortened life expectancy that accompany this inherited condition do not just impact bodies, they impact dreams, families, and communities.
But our story is not just about suffering. It’s about warriors.
The warriors we represent are not defined by their diagnosis. They are students, parents, doctors, artists, advocates, and leaders. They are the young girl in Nigeria walking miles to school despite fatigue. The college student in Atlanta juggling finals and hospital visits. The father in London quietly managing chronic pain to show up for his children. Every single warrior tells a story of courage, dignity, and determination.
World Sickle Cell Day is an invitation to care, to learn, and most importantly, to act. While medical breakthroughs such as gene therapies and curative treatments are on the horizon, access, equity, and education remain barriers that too many still face. This is why Sickle Cell Warriors, Inc. exists: to build bridges across those barriers through support, advocacy, and community-driven change.
This year, we call on global health leaders, researchers, policymakers, and everyday allies to step up. Let’s amplify the voices of those most impacted. Let’s fund the research that could save lives. Let’s ensure that healthcare systems are equipped not just with treatments, but with compassion. And let’s move from awareness to action.
To our warriors: today is your day! You are seen. You are valued. And your life is not in vain.
To the world: this is our collective call. Not just to remember the pain, but to champion the progress, the hope, and the people behind the headlines.
Together, let’s turn recognition into revolution. Because every warrior deserves a future where sickle cell no longer writes their story; they do.
Patrice Sterling
Advocate, and caregiver
Patient and Family Advocate, Sickle Cell Warriors, Inc.