Seventeen members of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club of Hartford arrived at John Dempsey Hospital on December 16 to deliver a special gift. The Buffalo Soldiers presented their first check of many to come for $1,000 to support sickle cell anemia research. The club, which is affiliated with the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers/Troopers Motorcycle Club, has designated UConn Health as the club’s official recipient of charitable donations raised through rides, community events, and member contributions.
Sickle cell disease is an extraordinarily painful genetic blood disorder that affects blood circulation and commonly leads to death in childhood or by age 40. Patients need multidisciplinary care throughout their lives to treat complications from the disease and manage their pain. Most institutions provide only pediatric sickle cell treatment. Dr. Biree Andemariam, assistant professor of medicine at UConn Health, is among a small number of physician-scientists who specialize in adults. She leads the only comprehensive adult sickle cell program in northern Connecticut. The team-based approach includes doctors, nurses, social workers, and patient navigators working together. The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Clinical and Research Center attracts patients and families from across Connecticut and beyond.
On hand to thank the Buffalo Soldiers for their generosity and commitment were Andemariam, Dr. Pramod Srivastava, director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sanford Cloud, chairman of the UConn Health Board of Directors, as well as faculty and staff from UConn Health and the UConn Foundation.