Sickle Cell Advocacy & Activism

This week, I got a chance to speak with Phyllis Thomas, the founder of the SCD Soldiers Network which is an Advocacy Group for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease (AGASCA). The SCD Soldier Network enables the sickle cell community to be advocates for each other. The beautiful part of this organization is that it's driven completely by volunteers like you and I.

To reduce the ignorance and stigma that people with sickle cell face, each of us have to be the voice, and the face of sickle cell to our peers, colleagues, friends, family and community. The SC Soldier Network will give you the tools to educate those around you.

Support Soldiers disseminate information in their communities, make referrals to the organization of patients that need AGASCA services, and attend AGASCA events in their area.

Front Line soldiers are charged with teaching, advocating, intervening and lobbying for change in the lives of the SCD patients they come across.

"They do the hands-on advocacy work. They also support those in need of care when in the hospital. They visit patients, provide meals for the families who are headed by a client who is sick. There are a variety of services that they will provide."

I just registered to be a Front Line Soldier for my community and I need you to register as well. Ghandi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." We want the public to treat us differently, we want more information about sickle cell available to the masses, we want advocacy and support when we are sick. So instead of waiting for someone to do this for us...let us join together and do it ourselves. Join AGASCA today.