Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Soar’ Uncovers Gail Campbell Woolley ‘s Sickle Cell Battle

Sickle Cell, Anemia, gail campbell woolley, sickle cell anemia
Memoir ‘Soar’ Uncovers Gail Campbell Woolley’s Battle W/ Sickle Cell

*After battling sickle cell anemia, a rare, painful, and misunderstood blood disease that affects mostly people of color, Gail Campbell Woolley died on March 16, 2015.

The publication of her memoir, Soar, was her last dying wish and precious gift from her husband, Howard, who is having it published posthumously. It will be available for sale on December 12, 2017 from Agate Bolden.

After being diagnosed at age 7 with sickle cell disease, and given a death sentence by her pediatrician – he said she would only reach 35 years old — Gail Woolley was determined to live a full, exciting and eventful life despite her diagnosis. She didn’t waste one moment’s breath. Her strong will and determined spirit propelled her to surpass the pediatrician’s death sentence, living until the age of 58.

Woolley’s powerful story sheds light on the suffering from this horrific illness, and raises awareness of this overlooked disease that affects the African American community. It lacks proper treatment and funding for research. In sharing her story, Woolley hoped to change the quality of care for those suffering and living with this illness, and to pursue a cure for this genetic condition that affects an estimated 100,000 people in the U.S. alone.

Written in engaging, direct no-nonsense prose that reflects her many years in journalism (Baltimore Sun, Washington Times, Washington Star), SOAR chronicles Gail’s life from diagnosis to death and shows how certain aspects of her disease helped shape her indomitable spirit in ways that can inspire each of us – even if death does not lurk in our blood cells.

Gail’s husband, Howard Woolley, who watched her battle the disease for 34 years, and a number of her doctors mentioned in the book, are available to discuss not only Gail’s impressive life while battling this fatal disease, but also how the illness affects those plagued by it. They all can shed light on how high quality care and treatment for patients is imperative in addition to a strong initiative in finding a cure.

What Is Sickle Cell Disease?

SCD is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. In someone who has SCD, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a “sickle”. The sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells.

Sickle Cell Trait

People who inherit one sickle cell gene and one normal gene have sickle cell trait (SCT). People with SCT usually do not have any of the symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD), but they can pass the trait on to their children.

In The United States

• In the United States, approximately 100,000 people have sickle cell disease, and 2 million people have sickle cell trait.
• SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births.
• SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American births.
• About 1 in 13 Black or African-American babies is born with sickle cell trait (SCT).
• One in every 100 Hispanic-Americans has sickle cell trait, and 1 in 1000-1400 has sickle cell disease.
• One in every ten African-Americans has sickle cell trait, and one in five hundred has sickle cell disease.

Facts About Sickle Cell Trait And Disease

Sickle cell disease is thought to have developed in areas of the world where malaria is present, because sickle cell trait provides some protection from malaria. Sickle cell disease occurs more often among people from parts of the world where malaria is or was common.

It is believed that people who carry the sickle cell trait are less likely to have severe forms of malaria.
Sickle cell affects people of many ethnicities, including those of African, Middle Eastern, Latino, Asian, Indian, and Mediterranean decent. However, it disproportionately affects African-Americans.

Twenty-five years ago, a person with sickle cell disease was not expected to live to adulthood, and the average life span was 21 years. Today, the outlook is much more optimistic, and many people are living beyond age 50.

There is still no universal cure for sickle cell disease.

Cause of SCD

SCD is a genetic condition that is present at birth. It is inherited when a child receives two sickle cell genes—one from each parent.

The exact number of people living with SCD in the U.S. is unknown. Working with partners, the CDC supports projects to learn about the number of people living with SCD to better understand how the disease impacts their health.

Cure

The only cure for SCD is bone marrow or stem cell transplant.
Bone marrow is a soft, fatty tissue inside the center of the bones where blood cells are made. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant is a procedure that takes healthy cells that form blood from one person—the donor—and puts them into someone whose bone marrow is not working properly.

Bone marrow or stem cell transplants are very risky, and can have serious side effects, including death. For the transplant to work, the bone marrow must be a close match. Usually, the best donor is a brother or sister. Bone marrow or stem cell transplants are used only in cases of severe SCD for children who have minimal organ damage from the disease.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects millions of people throughout the world and is particularly common among those whose ancestors came from sub-Saharan Africa; Spanish-speaking regions in the Western Hemisphere (South America, the Caribbean, and Central America); Saudi Arabia; India; and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Italy.

Comprehensive Care

People with SCD have less access to comprehensive team care than people with genetic disorders such as hemophilia and cystic fibrosis.

Economic Costs

During 2005, medical expenditures for children with SCD averaged $11,702 for children with Medicaid coverage and $14,772 for children with employer-sponsored insurance. About 40% of both groups had at least one hospital stay.

SCD is a major public health concern. From 1989 through 1993, an average of 75,000 hospitalizations due to SCD occurred in the United States, costing approximately $475 million.

 

 

 

 

 

 

source:
Jill GoldsteinPR.com
[email protected]

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