Naklee M. Brisbane Sickle Cell Memorial Fund, Inc. is dedicated to educating people about sickle cell disease and early detection. We are dedicated to spreading awareness among the public in America, as well as Liberia, West Africa where Sickle Cell is prevalent. We wish to enhance the care and quality of life of those individual with Sickle Cell anemia and help families cope with this devastating and debilitating disease.

What is Sickle Cell?

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, an abnormal type of hemoglobin. Sometimes these red blood cells become sickle-shaped (crescent shaped) and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels. When sickle-shaped cells block small blood vessels, less blood can reach that part of the body. Tissue that does not receive a normal blood flow eventually becomes damaged. This is what causes the complications of sickle cell disease. There is currently no universal cure for sickle cell disease. Sickle cells are destroyed rapidly in the body of people with the disease causing anemia, jaundice and the formation of gallstones. The sickle cells also block the flow of blood through vessels resulting in lung tissue damage (acute chest syndrome), pain episodes (arms, legs, chest and abdomen), stroke and priapism (painful prolonged erection). It also causes damage to most organs including the spleen, kidneys and liver. Damage to the spleen makes sickle cell disease patients, especially young children, easily overwhelmed by certain bacterial infections. (www.sicklecelldisease.org)

The Naklee M. Brisbane Sickle Cell Memorial Fund, Inc. is a non-profit organization established to assist children and their families cope with Sickle Cell Disease. As we ourselves continue to cope with the abrupt loss of our 10 year old daughter, we would like you to know that she was a loving and caring child. She was an excellent student and well behaved. As one of her instructors rightly said, “I can have a class full of a thousand Naklee and my class will be well behaved.”

Naklee read extensively on Sickle Cell Disease and wanted someday to become a medical doctor specializing in hematology to help others. Through our organization families are educated about this disease and early detection which which will prepare them for the challenges and enhance the quality of care available for children born with this disease. As drug resistance continues to be on the rise against various kinds of medical treatments, early detection of infection is critical.

We will offer scholarship on a yearly basis for the Naklee M. Brisbane School of Arts in Monrovia Liberia, West Africa. A bereavement fund to families who qualifies for final arrangements

This program is designated for children with Sickle Cell Anemia. We are also giving money to families in Liberia so that they will be able to utilize the skills in order to enhance the medical care in Liberia. We provide toys and gifts to children in hospitals who are suffering from Sickle Cell Anemia.