Remember when we said this?
Well, in the past few weeks, the sickle-cell community has really stepped up! How? We've SURPASSED the goal number of signatures (100,000) for the petition to The White House to make sickle-cell disease a national health priority. At the time of this post's publication the number stood at 109,478. It doesn't have to stop there -- keep signing! The petition is still active until October 22, 2014.
This petition seeks to have the government reauthorize the Sickle Cell Treatment Act to help expand the national newborn screening program, augment research opportunities, develop up to 25 sickle-cell treatment facilities all over the country, and so much more. This is an exciting time for the SCD community. Here's how #TeamSickleCell, including some celebrities, have been reacting to this awesome news: