SCMA Celebrates Our 3rd Anniversary with Overcomer Stories: Big Beautiful Lives

Welcome to the Sickle Cell Medical Advocacy Inc. Fundraising Campaign! Thank you for taking the time to journey with us as we celebrate our third year of learning, training, and advocating for the vulnerable Sickle Cell patients who often present with life-threatening situations to healthcare providers ignorant of their disease.  In this campaign, we aim to show off what we love most about our charitable nonprofit- our clients!

#BigBeautifulLives

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Ade Adeyokunnu gives well wishes to SCMA:

 https://youtube.com/shorts/6NxvWMZSWeE?si=xXCSa3-sDcpmKiLf 

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DeMitrious Wyant wishes SCMA a happy 3rd anniversary by video:

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Meet Samariah! Samariah is one of our cherished clients at SCMA, and we feel strongly connected to her. Living with Sickle Cell disease is challenging, but Samariah's spirit shines brightly. Samariah's mother, Allison, graduated from our SCD healthcare navigator program and is vital in advocating for patients who are weary and in pain in the emergency room and hospital. With her expertise, Allison reminds healthcare providers of (or introduces them to) the national guidelines for managing Sickle Cell disease, ensuring that every patient receives the care they deserve.

Despite the difficult days Samariah faces, having a trained advocate like her mother makes a world of difference. Together, they navigate the complexities of Sickle Cell disease, and we do everything we can to support them. We share with Allison ways to help nourish Samariah and promote her well-being so she can return to living her big, beautiful life.

Samariah is passionate about ballet, reminding us that joy can flourish despite life-altering adversity. We invite you to watch some videos that capture Samariah’s inspiring journey with Sickle Cell disease—proof that love, advocacy, and resilience can create a vibrant life: 

a)#MyBigBeautifulLife: An ER visit (Trigger Warning: this video footage contains emotional content. Please proceed cautiously!)

b) #MyBigBeautifulLife: When Life is a Dance

https://youtu.be/Od_WKFgnpMg?si=5kFsfJdPrzZN4SBV

 

 

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Meet Hynees Garcia, an SCMA-trained Sickle Cell healthcare navigator who was SCMA's first client, and the inspiration behind the movement. She shares a day of her big, beautiful life in her video below: 

#MyBigBeautifulLife: Treatment Day! -https://youtu.be/jssWBVVQ9d4

 

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 Raye Williams embodies both roles of a hero: She is a trained Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) healthcare navigator who advocates for quality treatment for other patients, and she herself is living with Sickle Cell Disease, requiring treatment to mitigate its harmful effects. Raye generously shared this footage of her recent Blood Exchange transfusion for our campaign as we celebrate the third anniversary of SCMA and the vibrant lives we support. 

#MyBigBeautifulLife: Apheresis Day

https://youtu.be/SgJ3ftE8u5Y?si=V-13G0nPLXGOxTEF

 

 

6)

 

 "Hello, my name is Cynthia James, and I want to share about living with SCD as an older adult. My entire vantage point is from that as an older person since I was unaware I had SC disease until I was 62, 8 years ago, when I experienced my 1st major crisis. First, I’m very grateful I was spared from the severe ravages of SC as a younger person...Doctors don’t necessarily anticipate us living into our 60s, 70s, and beyond, so little research is available on how this condition manifests or changes as we age...

I may not have known I had Sickle Cell disease, but all the damage it does to a body has been going on now for 70 years. I experience some level of pain every day, but each day is different in its severity. On my worst days, I do what we all probably do. I rest with my heating pad (my best friend), coconut water, meds, and a 'cold headache hat' that is great for migraines and allows my body to reset. In addition to prayer, I practice a lot of "mind over matter," and I regularly include alternative therapies like acupuncture and massages. I also listen to healing frequency music on YouTube. I try my best to live in a state of thankfulness for each and every day! When I’m struggling, God finds a way to send me gentle reminders. "

As Cynthia celebrated her 70th birthday, there was a rush of gratitude in this truly joyful warrior, and she took to the floor to express this with dancing! Thank you, Cynthia, for sharing a piece of this video with us. 

#MyBigBeautifulLife: The joy of seventy! https://youtu.be/i95Aob8KF8o

Stories by Pictures-Before and After:

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More about Sickle Cell Medical Advocacy Inc. (SCMA):

We wanted to show you why supporting those living with Sickle Cell disease (SCD) matters and why you should choose our nonprofit. We SUPPORT SICKLE CELL PATIENTS DURING a pain crisis. We are the only national organization doing this as we partner with other Sickle Cell community-based organizations across several states. We are honored to train motivated volunteers around the country (Eighty so far!) to become certified Sickle Cell Healthcare Navigators who advocate for vulnerable patients nationally in emergency rooms and hospitals, FREE of charge. Please help us keep both the training to become a Sickle Cell healthcare navigator and the advocacy support for the patients free of charge.

In celebration of Sickle Cell Medical Advocacy, Inc.'s 3rd anniversary on August 26th, our #BigBeautifulLives campaign was created to empower individuals living with Sickle Cell to share their stories of resilience, triumph, and joy. We say to them "You are more than your diagnosis. Your story matters". Journey a day in the life of some of our brave patients: 

Thank you for celebrating the lives of our precious clients with us! Now, we encourage you to be a part of the solution! Please donate generously and help us to educate our healthcare providers and patients alike about Sickle Cell disease so that we can continue our mission of "transformative healthcare" and increased quality of life and lifespan for those daring to live BIG BEAUTIFUL LIVES with Sickle Cell disease.