Challenge accepted!!!

I am hiking to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro (19,340 ft) this September for Sickle Forward to raise at least $1 million for sickle cell disease (SCD) in Africa. Born and raised in Ghana with family members with SCD, I have had a front row seat in observing how devastating and debilitating SCD truly is. While I have been fortunate to be a part of drug discovery efforts to help bridge the treatment gap, there remain significant unmet need in terms of available treatment options and access to quality care for SCD patients worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa in particular, where SCD has the highest prevalence, the unmet need is as basic as accurately knowing whether you have SCD as a newborn, primarily due to limited resources and access to proper care. Even though summitting Kilimanjaro seems like a daunting task, I am excited and motivated by what it will represent, a successful raise of funds to support SCD newborn screening in Africa and on a personal note, perhaps a small taste of how difficult it must be to live with SCD.

Thank you in advance for supporting my goal of raising $50,000 for the Timmerman Traverse! If you have read up to this point, know that you have already contributed to raising awareness for individuals with SCD!