DETROIT – The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Michigan Chapter (SCDAAMI) announced plans on Monday for this year's 5K walk and run at Palmer Park in Detroit.
The event is Saturday, June 9 from 8 a.m. to noon. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The run is set to start at 8:30 a.m. with the walk beginning one hour later.
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The event will also observe World Sickle Cell Day, which is Tuesday, June 19.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder in which the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells. That shape makes it difficult for blood to flow normally. SCDAAMI provides free testing for sickle cell conditions with social work services, education, career development and genetic counseling.
CEO and medical director of the SCDAAMI Dr. Wanda Whitten-Shurney participated in the National Institute of Health's Accelerating Cures in Hemoglobinopathies Program to talk about discoveries in the field with other researchers and physicians.
"The meeting in March served as the official launch of the initiative, and engaged attendees in innovation solution-discovery sessions to define opportunities to pursue, accelerate and enhance our roadmap towards a cure," she said.
The expectation for Whitten-Shurney and her colleagues is to find a genetic cure for the disease in the next five years.
If you cannot attend the 5K event, you can also donate to the cause by purchasing a T-shirt. You can purchase a shirt at www.sicklecellmatters.net. All proceeds go towards funding patient programming in Michigan.