Next month I will be joining a team of about 20 biotech executives in an attempt to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (19,300 feet!!). Our climb is part of a $1M fundraising effort to support an organization called Sickle Forward, which serves to advance the diagnosis and treatment of sickle cell disease care in lower- and middle- income countries in Africa. This is an effort led by biotech journalist Luke Timmerman. Luke led a trek to Everest Base Camp that I was on 2 years ago to raise money for Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, and I was so inspired by that experience that when he called me about this climb, I simply had to say yes, as this is an incredibly important cause.
Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited disorder of the red blood cell, affecting over 6 million people around the world. SCD is a chronic, painful, debilitating illness that disproportionally affects individuals from malaria endemic parts of the world. Its highest rate of prevalence is in sub-Saharan Africa. About 236,000 babies are born with SCD in sub-Saharan Africa each year (more than 80 times as many as in the United States), and up to 90% will die during childhood, typically before their fifth birthday.
In the United States, by contrast, people with SCD often live into their 40s or beyond. While recent advancements in research and treatment in the US and Europe have been promising, SCD continues to be a 'forgotten' illness for individuals living in the global regions where resources are limited.
As you know, I trained as both a pediatric oncologist and a pediatric hematologist, so I’ve taken care of my fair share of sickle cell disease patients. Believe me when I tell you that the unmet need for children with sickle cell disease in lower- and middle-income countries is on par with the unmet medical need for pediatric cancer here in the US. It just doesn’t get nearly the same amount of attention despite the fact that the mortality rate for children with sickle cell disease is as high as cancer is for children here in the US. And as you likely know, the consequences of sickle cell disease can be devastating and are life-long.
I’m personally trying to raise $50,000 and have invested heavily, personally, in this fundraising effort as the care of sick children is the defining theme of my life. I’ve raised over $38,000 so far,and I’d love to have your support and help in order to reach my goal. I’ve put a link below that you can use for making a donation. I’d like to ask you to please consider making a very generous donation to assist me in achieving my $50,000 goal and to assist my team in reaching crush our $1M goal.
You can donate at the link in the upper right hand corner of this page!
Thank you, in advance, for your support here. If you’d need help with donating from a donor-advised fund or some other vehicle (versus a credit card), please let me know and I can get you that information, and as always, if it’d be easier to talk through, please just call me directly at 617-312-8626.
Many, many thanks, and I hope that you have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!
