We Can Do Hard Things: Educate, Advocate and Inspire

This episode was originally released on November 2, 2021 | In honor of National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group is proud to partner with the Black Women's Health Imperative for a four-part podcast series on sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disease that causes red blood cells, which are normally round, to become C-shaped like a sickle. It is a progressive and debilitating disease that can cause pain crises, organ damage and a shortened lifespan, and it disproportionately impacts communities of color, occurring in approximately one in every 365 Black or African American individuals in the United States.This episode is co-hosted by Holland & Knight Senior Policy Advisor Shawna Watley, Chief Policy Officer & Senior Counsel for Black Women’s Health Imperative Tammy Boyd and Senior Director for Alliance Development and Government Affairs at bluebird bio Sonya Elling. They are joined by two sickle cell warriors: Teonna Woolford, CEO of Sickle Cell Reproductive Health Education Directive (SC RED) and Phillip Okwo, an accomplished business and finance professional, sickle cell advocate and Vice Chair of SC RED's founding board. This discussion explores the journeys of both Ms. Woolford and Mr. Okwo as individuals living with sickle cell disease and how they applied their lived experiences to advocacy work in the community. They emphasize healthcare inequities facing the sickle cell community, particularly in regards to reproductive health. During this episode, the group explores current legislation and possible new policy efforts to combat these inequities and improve the overall quality of life for sickle cell warriors. They also highlight how education can play a role in advancing the quality of care for those living with sickle cell.