Proclamation

WHEREAS, sickle cell anemia and sickle cell disease, used interchangeably, refer to a group of inherited disorders that affect the red blood cells; and

WHEREAS, sickle cell disease is a disease in which a person’s body produces abnormally-shaped red blood cells that resemble a crescent or sickle and that do not last as long as normal round red blood cells, which leads to anemia; and

WHEREAS, the sickle cells also get stuck in blood vessels and block blood flow, resulting in vasa-occlusive crises, which can cause pain and organ damage; and

WHEREAS, sickle cell disorders occur in about 1 in every 10,000 births in Washington state; and

WHEREAS, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 Americans and occurs among approximately 1 in every 365 Black or African American births and 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic or Latino births; and

WHEREAS, National Sickle Cell Awareness Month serves to raise awareness of the health disparities associated with sickle cell disease;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jay Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, do hereby proclaim September 2022 as Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month in Washington, and I invite all people in our state to join me in this special observance.

View and download the official proclamation below!

Join the Fight Against Sickle Cell Disease, visit RedCrossBlood.org today.