How does sickle cell disease affect people?

While normal red blood cells are round like donuts and move freely through blood vessels, sickled blood cells clog the flow of blood and can break apart as they move through blood vessels. Additionally, sickled red blood cells do not deliver oxygen throughout the body as well as normal red blood cells do. As a result people living with sickle cell disease may suffer with:

• Severe pain
• Low number of red blood cells (or anemia)
• Stroke