Senator Ananich offered the following resolution:

            Senate Resolution No. 220.

            A resolution to recognize the diversity in clinical trial forum as sponsored by the Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Association of America, Michigan Chapter.

            Whereas, Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disease which affects the red blood cells; and

            Whereas, Individuals with sickle cell disease produce abnormally shaped red blood cells that resemble a crescent or sickle and that do not last as long as normal round red blood cells, which leads to anemia. The sickle cells also get stuck in blood vessels and block blood flow, which can cause pain and organ damage; and

            Whereas, Pain is the most common complication of sickle cell disease and the primary reason that people with the disease go to the emergency room or hospital; and

            Whereas, Sickle cell disease is a chronic condition that can affect any organ, including the kidneys, lungs, and spleen. Research indicates that patients experience many severe complications, including stroke, infections, and pulmonary embolism; and

            Whereas, There is no universal cure for sickle cell disease and only one available disease-modifying medication; and

            Whereas, Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that occurs in individuals who are born with two sickle cell genes, each inherited from one parent. An individual with only one sickle cell gene has “sickle cell trait,” which occurs in one out of every twelve African Americans and in one out of every 100 Latinos in the United States; and

            Whereas, According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, approximately two million Americans carry the sickle cell trait.  Many people who have sickle cell trait never know they have it and can live their entire lives without any complications from it; and

            Whereas, Complications in sickle cell trait are rare and individuals with sickle cell trait should not be excluded from physical activity, including sports, unless recommended by medical personnel. Instead, people should be educated about universal precautions including adequate hydration and proper conditioning before exertion, and also being familiar with the symptoms of overexertion; and

            Whereas, According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that more than 90,000 Americans have sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease occurs in one out of every 500 African American births and in one out of every 36,000 Latino births; and

            Whereas, Individuals living with sickle cell disease encounter barriers to obtaining quality care and improving their quality of life. These barriers include limitations in geographic access to comprehensive care, the varied use of effective treatments, the high reliance on emergency care and public health programs, and the limited number of health care providers with knowledge and experience to manage and treat their illness; and

            Whereas, The Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act was signed into law in 1972 by President Richard Nixon after pledging that his administration would “reverse the record of neglect of the dreaded disease” by increasing funding for and expanding sickle cell anemia-related programs, including the development of comprehensive sickle cell centers; and

            Whereas, In 1975, the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc., and its member organizations under the leadership of Dr. Charles Whitten began organizing events in September to call attention to sickle cell conditions and the need to address the problem at national and local levels, and chose September as National Sickle Cell Awareness Month in order for the public to reflect on the children and adults whose lives, education, and careers have been affected by this disease; and

            Whereas, The effort to officially recognize Sickle Cell Awareness Month succeeded at the federal level in 1983 when the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed, and President Ronald Reagan signed; now, therefore, be it further

            Resolved, That special recognition be given for the November 30, 2016, diversity in clinical trial forum as sponsored by the Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Association of America, Michigan Chapter.