About SCDF

Founded in 1957

We’re the first and oldest non-profit, social service, sickle cell disease organization in the United States today. The Sickle Cell Disease Foundation has maintained a viable and reputable organization for over 60 years.

We address the needs of individuals with sickle cell disease and their families by emphasizing educational and support programs and services that meet the physical, psychosocial and economic needs of our clients.

With a growing population of individuals with sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait, a primary focus of the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation is to educate, screen and counsel those persons at risk of having children with sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin disorders.

The average person with sickle cell disease was dying in childhood, often of overwhelming infection.
Ten percent of children with sickle cell disease suffered fatal or debilitating strokes.
Many persons with sickle cell disease were burdened with recurrent pain and chronic pain.
Children were missing a lot of school and adults found it difficult to go to work every day.

Answering a Community Call to Action

Volunteers started organizing
Physicians with some understanding wrote brochures for distribution to the community
A Membership Drive took place from 1957-1960
Two telethons raised the initial funds to hire staff and the work began

The Sickle Cell Disease Research Foundation answered the call…

OUR HISTORY

Uplifting Sickle Cell Disease as a
Statewide Priority

For the first time in California’s history, the governor committed $15 million statewide for sickle cell screening and treatment programs throughout the state.

This program marks the first time California has ever provided funding for SCD, which is the world’s most common genetic disease affecting approximately 100,000 in the U.S. alone.

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