Why should a student with sickle cell disease be able to keep a water bottle at his or her desk or leave class more frequently for water fountain and restroom breaks?

Water helps to increase a person’s vein size and allows sickle-shaped cells to flow through blood vessels more easily. Allowing a student with sickle cell disease to access water freely may help to reduce the pain that can occur with sickle cell disease. As a result of needing to drink so much water, and because sickle cell disease causes kidney problems, the student may need to use the restroom more often.