
Sickle cell scientist fights for a cure for herself and others
CNN
Lakiea Bailey found out she had sickle cell disease when she was 3 years old. Despite hundreds of hospitalizations and blood transfusions, she got her doctorate and now leads a patient advocacy group while advising the government and drug companies looking for a cure.
As a child, she missed weeks out of every school year because of sickle cell -- a painful, genetic disease that's believed to impact 100,000 Americans. Patients' red blood cells are "sickle" shaped and can clump together to impede blood flow to the rest of the body, causing serious problems, including strokes and organ failure.More Related News