RICHMOND, Va. — For years, sickle cell disease, which affects red blood cells with many complications and primarily impacts the African-American community, was known as the forgotten disease.
While focus on and treatments for the disease has been limited in the past, that has been changed in recent years including efforts in this year’s Virginia General Assembly.
Among the people involved in that is Minnie Powell, whose son, Neaz, was born with sickle cell disease.
Provided to WTVR“We lived at VCU Health system for about 19 years,” Powell said. “We were really worried about, you know, how he would fare in life.”
Powell said that her son, Neaz’s case, included withdrawing from university because he was spending so much time in the hospital.
But things changed in 2017 when he got a stem cell transplant from his younger brother.
“He’s doing really well at school. And he’s actually graduating this year from VCU with an undergrad in biology,” Powell said.
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