I am thrilled to share some news: I have received a $300,000 grant to expand and systematize newborn screening for sickle cell disease in Cameroon over the next two years. This project will help diagnose children early, connect their families to resources such as penicillin prophylaxis, folic acid, anti-malaria, and hydroxyurea plan, and pave the way for greater access to life-changing cure.

By the time I graduate on May 24, my goal is to raise an additional $50,000 to strengthen this effort — and I need your support!

Why This Matters

Blood diseases like sickle cell affects millions, yet emerging curative therapies have remained out of reach for too many. I know this firsthand: I grew up with sickle cell disease. Today, I am healthy thanks to a bone marrow transplant that cured me.

🕺It’s because of that transplant that I was able to attend college, graduate magna cum laude with a stellar class attendance record, and secure opportunities to continue my work as a Health Policy & Global Fellow at Stanford and a Public Policy Master’s candidate at Harvard.

This journey has fuelled my commitment to scaling access to curative gene therapies for people everywhere.

A Journey to Celebrate Science and Hope

This September, to raise awareness and funds, I will hike the 3 tallest mountains (fourteeners) in Colorado — Mt. Elbert, Mt. Shavano, Mt. Tabegauche — alongside other individuals who, like me, have been cured from sickle cell through advanced therapies.

From Left to Right: Yours truly (bone marrow transplant recipient), Jimi Olaghere, Tesha Samuels, and Victoria Gray (all gene therapy recipients) during a warm-up hike in South Carolina early in April.

Together, we will show the world what is possible when science meets hope: Climbing mountains — both literal and figurative — that once seemed insurmountable.

How You Can Invest

100% of your gift will go to expanding and systematizing newborn screening in Cameroon. Your support will help detect sickle cell early and connect families to care.

Beyond the Mountain

By Sickle Forward

Beyond the Mountain

Because Every Child Deserves a Chance to Summit Life’s Peaks