Bring more awareness to Sickle Cell Disease and to make it a national priority. It is known to be a "black man disease".

I am writing on behalf of my 5 year old son Michelo Mckenzie jr. He has been greatly affected by this sickle cell disease. His story is rather unique because we never found out that he had the disease until after he was diagnosis with pnuemoccocal meningitis and was hospitalized for 25 in The Bahamas. We came to The U.S to seek medical treatment in 2010 and we has been here ever since. He has had numerous surgeries, he was blind,paralized, deaf in the left ear and had several brain surgeries due to hydrocephluas. This disease has totally changed our lives and being a single mother residing in the U.S and not being able to work in order to provide a stable environment is very hard. He still requires therapies because he has special needs and is admitted often for transfusions and crisis.