09/08/2026
PRAYER WARRIORS🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
YES, SHE IS CAUCASIAN. AND YES, SHE HAS SICKLE CELL DISEASE. ❤️
Please read that again.
One of the most dangerous misconceptions about Sickle Cell Disease is that it only affects Black people. It does not....it primarily affects Black people. Sickle Cell Disease can affect people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and this is exactly why education and awareness are so important.
September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and awareness means more than wearing red or sharing a post. It means learning the truth about this painful, unpredictable, and potentially life-threatening disease.
Meet Sophia.
Sophia lives with Sickle Cell Disease, and right now she is facing an extremely serious and frightening hospitalization.
She initially went to the hospital because of a mysterious mass above her tooth. Now, she is experiencing episodes that appear to be seizures or fainting spells.
Her jugular vein has completely collapsed around her port catheter, and there is now a blockage where the jugular vein meets the subclavian vein. During some of these episodes, her oxygen saturation has reportedly dropped as low as 65%.
Imagine watching someone you love go through that.
Imagine sitting beside a hospital bed waiting for answers while doctors are still trying to determine exactly what is happening.
Her medical team is now discussing the possibility of placing a stent to help restore blood flow.
THIS is Sickle Cell Disease.
It is not “just a blood disorder.”
It is not “just pain.”
And it does not care about your race, your age, your plans, your family, or what you had scheduled for tomorrow.
Sickle Cell can affect different organs and systems throughout the body, and complications can become serious very quickly. IT CAN SHUT YOUR ORGANS DOWN!
So during Sickle Cell Awareness Month, I am asking you to do more than scroll past this post.
LEARN. SHARE. ADVOCATE.
Learn what Sickle Cell Disease is.
Learn who can be affected.
Learn the warning signs and complications.
Stop repeating the misconception that only Black people can have this disease.
And today, please say a special prayer for Sophia. 🙏🏾❤️
Pray for healing.
Pray for strength.
Pray for protection.
Pray for wisdom and clarity for every doctor, nurse, specialist, and medical professional caring for her.
Pray that they find the answers they need quickly and that Sophia receives the treatment her body needs.
Every Sickle Cell warrior deserves to be seen, heard, believed, respected, and properly cared for.
And speaking personally, this is exactly why I refuse to stop advocating.
As the CEO of GALS Foundation, Inc., I have seen what Sickle Cell Disease can do to individuals and families. I have seen the hospital stays, the fear, the unanswered questions, the pain, and the exhaustion that comes with fighting a disease that far too many people still do not fully understand.
Stories like Sophia’s are why I keep speaking up.
They are why I keep educating.
They are why I keep showing up.
They are why I keep pushing for better awareness, better understanding, better treatment, and better care for every person living with Sickle Cell Disease.
As long as there is a warrior fighting to be heard, I will keep using my voice.
As long as there is a family sitting beside a hospital bed praying for answers, I will keep advocating.
As long as there are misconceptions about who can have Sickle Cell Disease, I will keep educating.
And as long as GALS Foundation has a platform, we will continue standing beside our Sickle Cell warriors and their families.
This fight is personal to me. This mission is in my heart. And I will not stop.
SICKLE CELL HAS NO ONE FACE. KNOW THE FACTS. KNOW YOUR STATUS. SPREAD AWARENESS.
— Carla Peterson
CEO/Founder
GALS Foundation, Inc.
