The co-founder and CEO of the KD Hall Foundation has a personal connection to sickle cell and is encouraging Black donors to help out.
“People living with sickle cell, they’re just like you and me. There’s really no difference,” said KD Hall.
Sickle cell anemia is a condition that affects an estimated 100,000 Americans.
From early on, Hall knew sickle cell anemia could impact her life. She is a carrier of the gene that causes the condition and her husband is, too.
“My husband, high school sweetheart, I always knew he had the “s” trait. I met him when I was 15 years old. I never knew that I was a carrier,” Hall said.
When their daughter, KJ, was born, they soon found out she had sickle cell anemia.
“So that’s how it goes. When you have children together, you know it’s a one in four chance that you have sickle cell anemia,” Hall said.
Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disorder that causes the hemoglobin in red blood cells to turn from its normal round shape to a crescent or “sickle” shape.
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