Black Opportunity Fund’s Post

Today is World Sickle Cell Day, a day set aside to raise awareness about sickle cell disease (SCD) and the profound impact it has on millions of people worldwide. This United Nations-designated day serves as a reminder of our shared responsibility to assist those affected by SCD, advance research, and advocate for improved healthcare and policies. Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder characterized by sickle or crescent-shaped red blood cells, which can cause a variety of serious health complications. These abnormally shaped cells can block blood flow, causing pain, infections, and organ damage. SCD affects millions globally, with a significant prevalence in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and India. Living with sickle cell disease poses a number of challenges. Patients often endure chronic pain, frequent hospitalizations, and a reduced quality of life. Beyond the physical pain, there is an emotional and psychological cost. Families of those affected face financial burdens due to medical costs and the need for continuous care. Despite advancements in medical science, access to effective treatment remains limited, especially in low-resource settings. Raising SCD awareness is critical. Many misconceptions and stigmas surround the disease, which can lead to discrimination and inadequate support for patients. Education plays a pivotal role in dispelling myths and promoting understanding. By raising public awareness, we can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for people with SCD. The fight against sickle cell disease relies heavily on community support and advocacy. Patient advocacy groups, healthcare providers, and policymakers must all collaborate to ensure that people with SCD receive the necessary care and resources. This includes comprehensive healthcare, pain relief, and support services. On World Sickle Cell Day, let us renew our dedication to combating sickle cell disease. There are a few ways to make a change: Educate: Raise SCD awareness in your community, schools, and workplace. Education can help to alleviate stigma and raise awareness. Advocate for policies and initiatives that improve access to and quality of care for SCD patients. Support increased funding for research and patient care. Donate to organizations that support sickle cell research, patient care, and advocacy. Your contributions can help fund critical research and provide vital services to those in need. Provide assistance to individuals and families affected by SCD. Volunteering, fundraising, and simply listening can all have a significant impact. Finally, World Sickle Cell Day serves as both a commemorative day and a call to action. It is a day to honor the resilience of those living with sickle cell disease and to commit ourselves to the ongoing fight for better treatments, greater awareness, and ultimately, a cure. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can celebrate a world free of sickle cell disease.

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month –Sickle Cell Awareness Month – is an important Month, especially for the more than 100,000 individuals with sickle cell disease – most of whom are of African and Latino descent will require regular blood transfusions to help manage their disease. 🩸 Sickle cell disease distorts soft and round red blood cells and turns them hard and crescent shaped, which can cause individuals to experience extreme pain. 🩸Individuals with sickle cell disease can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lifetime to treat complications of their disease. Unfortunately, this can make finding compatible blood types more difficult when patients develop an immune response against blood from donors that is not closely matched to the blood of the recipient.... 🩸 Blood donations from individuals of the same ethnicity and blood type have a unique ability to help patients fighting sickle cell disease. (Black and Brown Blood Donors) 🩸Blood shortages can be particularly concerning for those patients who need closely matched blood types, which is why we are urging many diverse individuals to give. ❤️The Red Cross currently offers sickle cell trait screening on all donations from self-identified African American or Latino donors. This screening helps the Red Cross identify compatible blood types more quickly to help sickle cell patients and provide our Black and Brown donors an additional health insight during a time when health information has never been more important. 🩸 Sickle cell trait is inherited and means that an individual received a sickle cell gene from one parent but does not have sickle cell disease. Many individuals are unaware if they carry this trait. Health experts recommend that individuals with sickle cell trait be aware of their status and consult their medical provider on what it means for them. 🩸It is estimated that about 1 in 13 Black or African American babies in the U.S. is born with sickle cell trait. 🩸 Individuals who only carry the trait are eligible to donate blood may be able to help a Sickle Cell Fighter facing a crisis. 🩸Donors can expect to receive results to their blood screenings within one to two weeks through our Red Cross Blood Donor App and the online donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org. ❤️ You can help by creating awareness about the importance of blood donation. BW4HL is sponsoring a Sickle Cell Blood Drive on September 27th. Please register online. We need Our Black and Brown Communities to participate in this event. Please use the QR code to register for this needed community Opportunity. #BW4HL #diversedonorsmatter

International Childhood Cancer Day **************************************************** Childhood cancer is an underestimated cause of death in Africa. This international day aims to raise awareness of this reality and promote prevention, care and research. Paediatric cancer is totally ignored by Mali's health policy. There is no cancer control strategy in Mali. These diseases have never been an integral part of the government's plans, either in terms of research or care for sick children and their families. There is an urgent need to develop a genuine strategy to help children and their families. In Mali, more than 500 new cases are detected every year. Childhood cancer is a disease that is rarely diagnosed in Mali, due to a lack of qualified staff and appropriate equipment and infrastructure.  Some forms of cancer are specific to children and, conversely, most adult cancers do not occur in children. The factors that encourage the development of cancer are clearly identified in adults (alcohol, tobacco, toxic products, viruses, etc.), but these causes are very rarely present in children. Considerable progress has been made in treatment over the last few decades, and the cure rate is now 80% in countries with sufficient resources. But much remains to be done. These children have no right to be forgotten. Cancer can be treated and cured in Mali. Society must adapt its behaviour to this new situation, and patients must not suffer discrimination. Solutions do exist...

𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡‼️ 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐀.... What is leukaemia? Leukaemia is a group of cancers that affect the blood. They start in the bone marrow, where blood cells are made. Although the cause of leukaemia is not known in most cases, there are treatments that can help control the disease. What are the types of leukaemia? There are many types of leukaemia. The types of leukaemia are named according to the: type of white blood cells affected (‘lymphoid’ if from the lymphatic system, or ‘myeloid’ if from the bone marrow) how quickly the cancer cells grow Leukaemia may be: acute — appearing fast and growing quickly chronic — appearing gradually and growing slowly Both adults and children can get leukaemia. However, different types are more common in different age groups. In acute leukaemia, the diseased bone marrow makes too many abnormal ‘blast cells’. These cells build up and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. In chronic leukaemia, mature, abnormal white blood cells fail to die. They slowly build up in your bloodstream, bone marrow and other organs. The main types of leukaemia are: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) also called acute lymphocytic leukaemia — is the most common type of childhood leukaemia, and can also affect adults. Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), sometimes called acute myelocytic, myelogenous or granulocytic leukaemia — can occur at any age, although it tends to affect older people. Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APML) — is thought to be caused by damage to your genes. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) — the most common type of leukaemia in adults. CLL tends to be slow-growing and may have little impact on your health for months or even years. Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) — tends to progress over weeks or months. CML mostly affects adults aged over 40 years. Hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) — is a rare type of leukaemia most often seen in middle-aged females. What are the symptoms of leukaemia? Different types of leukaemia cause different symptoms. tiredness anaemia repeated infections — such as mouth sores and urinary tract infections fevers and sweats increased bruising and bleeding What causes leukaemia? Some things are known to increase your risk of getting leukaemia. Some of these 'risk factors' are: contact with intense radiation exposure to certain chemicals, such as benzene certain viral infections, for example human T-cell leukaemia virus abnormal genes age sex. Tests to find leukaemia: Several tests can be done to confirm a diagnosis of leukaemia, and to work out which type it is. Bone marrow biopsy — a needle is used to take a sample of bone marrow from your hip bone. Chest x-ray — to check your heart and lungs. Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) — a needle is used to take fluid from around the spinal cord in your lower back. #snsinstitutions #snsdesignthinkers #designthinking

There is much to commend in this 'Protect Britain' Report from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, written by Ryan Wain and Brianna Miller. The recognition that the UK needs to pivot towards disease prevention, to free up the NHS to focus on early disease detection and intervention, is becoming increasingly popular. However, from a cancer perspective, the advice in this report falls well short of the mark. There is little published evidence to show that detection of "circulating tumour cells will allow us to identify cancers early" . For example, the published evidence suggest that the Grail blood test is a late rather than early cancer detection test, as often promoted by the NHS Galleri Trial. I am also surprised that the report does not mention that we have well established pathways to diagnose common cancers in patients with specific symptoms, just a lack of workforce, scanners and IT to detect more at an early stage. There is also little coverage given to cancer screening, or the fact that it could be expanded to more cancers or personalised by cancer risk assessment, with the amount of screening tailored to personal risk. In my opinion, cancer risk assessment, cancer screening and cancer prevention by behavioural change should be the key pillars of any early cancer detection strategy. https://lnkd.in/eGeeDWYV

Still in the spirit of June 19 (World Sickle Cell Day) I woke up to the thought " what are relatives and friends of deceased sickle cell warriors doing to assist the Sickle Cell community?" As an advocate of Sickle Cell, I usually get all this comment from friends around me. "I lost my brother to sickle cell and till this very day he's in my heart", "ohh... I lost my loving wife/husband/child to sickle cell, that's the worst thing that had happened to me", " Damn my roommate/close friend back then in school died of sickle cell" and bla bla blah, but what's your impact so far?? Some people even go to the extent to say " it has already happened and I wouldn't make such mistake again so let's just forget about it", some would say " I don't want have anything doing again with the sickle cell community because I don't want to be seen as one" but the truth of the fact is that we need more advocates! We need more awareness! There are a whole lot of places we need to touch but we can't do it alone so we need you all to combat this. It's not necessarily the funding of programs etc but there are many more ways you could assist. Here are a few ways that relatives and friends of deceased sickle cell individuals can help combat sickle cell in the community: 1. Raise awareness: Share information about sickle cell disease with others. Talk to your friends, relatives, and acquaintances about the disease and its challenges. 2. Encourage voluntary testing: Encourage your friends and family members to get tested for sickle cell anemia. Getting tested can help people understand whether they are at risk of passing on the sickle cell gene to their children. Early diagnosis and treatment can also help people manage the disease. 3. Support healthcare facilities: Local healthcare facilities, clinics and foundations may need help with resources and funding to support those with sickle cell disease. Consider volunteering your time or donating money to these hospitals, clinics and foundations 4. Participate in awareness events: Take part in sickle cell awareness events and fundraising campaigns. Participate in walks, marathons, and other events that raise awareness about the disease. 5. Lobby for more resources: You can advocate for more government support for research and treatments for sickle cell disease. Reach out to government officials, policymakers, and advocacy groups to help raise awareness and secure more resources for sickle cell patients. If you truely love and miss this people you claim to love then you'd make an impact! Nevertheless, if you still have friends and relatives fighting this battle (Sickle Cell) as well, you can also support them through this ways 👆🏻don't wait for them to be in a critical condition or probably exit the earth before you start faking it. NOW is the right time to act!!!

Some of my friends know, I have a friend named Farel, and he has been extremely ill with testicular and prostate cancer for about 5 years now. He lives in the Congo, and getting the right treatment or any treatment has been so hard. As many are aware, so many are facing situations in poorer countries where even having food each day is getting difficult. So medicine and pain relief often is impossible. Despite getting some treatment, what we could afford this past two years, Farel’s condition is deteriorating fast as we knew it would, due to the fast spreading cancer. He has never been able to get sufficient cancer treatment fast enough to prolong his life much more. Now he faces weight loss, fevers, malaria, dizziness, pain in the abdomen and scrotum, and since yesterday, vomiting a lot of blood. He has gone to hospital yesterday and they want to send him to a hospital that specialises in cancer treatment. The problem is, due to my own health and that of my parents, I had to stop working and there is no money right now to try to get Farel even the bare minimum of help. Especially pain relief which obviously is going to be needed as his cancer spreads further. Everyone is struggling, no one has much money or even ‘extra’ now. Cost of living is high and things are hard. So for those who are struggling the same way, please do not stress yourself if you cannot help. If though anyone has $5 or more to put towards Farel’s treatment, at least so we can afford pain relief and whatever palliative care for cancer they can offer him there, please send to my PayPal or account, and I will be extremely grateful. Also if you can, let me know when you do so that I can thank you personally. Even small amounts from many people add up to enough to help more. If you don’t know Farel, he is one of my bestest friends, he is 26 years old. He is one of the most loving, caring, funny and empathetic souls I have ever had the privilege of meeting and coming to know. He has suffered from bipolar mood disorder, complex post traumatic stress from severe child assault, hydrocele and now the past 5 years, cancer and often bouts of malaria. It is amazing he has survived until now. One thing I know from watching my first boyfriend suffer very much until he died 17 years ago, is that every person, no matter who they are, when they are sick, deserve to have some respect, dignity and at least as much quality of life that is possible. And if they are very special, they truly deserve to know they are loved. Especially before they die. This was very hard to write. This is a very sad time for me as my dad also is in heart failure and very ill. If you are moved to give even some small help for my dear friend Farel, then I pray God pours out a blessing upon you. Below is a photo of Farel years ago when he was less sick. The other is of him yesterday. For Bank details please message me. https://lnkd.in/dhVjxg8s

To address someone with a more than 90% chance of living a healthy and happy life as if they had a less than 5% chance is not just tactless but ridiculous. There is a strong case for the NHS issuing guidelines simply on “how to talk cancer”. The language of fighting can severely demoralise patients by making them feel they are at fault for their fate Will the cancer taboo never vanish? Half of Britons who have “had cancer” do something called survive, and “live with it”. The current 10-year survival rates of some cancers are now running at 75-98%. Rates for other cancers remain lower, and mortality is obviously much higher for older people. But like most illnesses, if diagnosed early most cancers are now removable and/or curable. They are no longer as they once were: a death sentence. This past 10 days, it has been absurd that the mere breathing of the word cancer should set the nation’s church bells tolling. It is not so for many other serious diseases, such as motor neurone disease or Alzheimer’s. While untreated cancers can, of course, kill, the same applies to many other illnesses, from Covid-19 to sepsis and pneumonia to malaria. Yet cancer in Britain still has the image of a uniquely potent agent of death, as it does in other countries, where it is still unmentionable. While we treat most serious illnesses as bodily familiars, cancer still has the character of an alien plague, indestructible and resistant to cure. The result is that this subject has only lately become discussable. In his intriguing survey of illness in high places, In Sickness and in Power, former doctor and foreign secretary David Owen recounts the euphemisms used by public figures. When American president Grover Cleveland had a large part of his cancerous jaw removed in 1893, it was “for toothache”. Neville Chamberlain’s doctors never told him, or anyone, he was dying of bowel cancer when still in office. As we have been told incessantly in recent days, it was not revealed in 1952 that George VI died of lung cancer. Royal dignity required him to die of “coronary thrombosis”. A recent advertisement for cancer research sought donations by depicting soldiers charging forward out of first world war trenches – apparently as if cancers were Germans. This language of violence lies at the heart of the taboo. Patients are not suffering cancer but always “fighting” it. They go on to victory or defeat. If they survive – rarely “cured” – the stigma or the scars remain. Survivors go into “remission”. They are haunted by its dormant legacy, doomed for ever to “live with cancer” as unwelcome tenant of their body. When, long ago, I had “a” malignant bowel cancer removed, I noted the surgeon’s use of the indefinite article. He was emphatic that we were dealing not with a disease but with a tumour. I later met a group of cancer linguists obsessed with ending the taboo. The American psychologist David Hauser has long pleaded for an end to the warlike language. Read more to find out why

 Enhancing Childhood Cancer Diagnosis in Africa: A Crucial Imperative Introduction: Childhood cancer remains a global health concern. @The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that approximately 400,000 newly diagnosed cases are diagnosed annually among children aged 0-19. In Africa, childhood cancer diagnosis and treatment challenges are particularly pronounced, often leading to delayed interventions and poorer outcomes. DMAC International recognises the urgent need to address this issue and highlights the importance of implementing practical diagnostic tests to improve early detection in African countries. Challenges in childhood cancer diagnosis in Africa: African countries face several obstacles in diagnosing childhood cancer. These obstacles include limited access to healthcare facilities, inadequate resources, and lack of awareness of pediatric malignancy symptoms. As a result, many cases remain undetected until advanced stages, diminishing treatment chances. Diagnostic Tests and their Impact: Implementing reliable and accessible diagnostic tests is crucial to overcoming these challenges. These tests can aid healthcare professionals in early and accurately identifying childhood cancer, enabling prompt treatment. Vital diagnostic tests include imaging studies (such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRI) and laboratory tests (like blood tests and biopsies) to confirm the presence of cancer and determine its specific type. Statistics on childhood cancer in Africa: According to WHO, childhood cancer survival rates in high-income countries can exceed 80%, while in many African nations, these rates are significantly lower, often below 30%. The lack of early diagnosis contributes to this disparity. Improved access to diagnostic tests could substantially improve survival rates in Africa. #ChildhoodCancer #CancerAwareness #DiagnosticTesting #DMACInternational #AfricanHealth #GlobalHealth #CancerPrevention #HealthcareInAfrica #EarlyDetection #AfricanChildren #ScreeningPrograms https://lnkd.in/efsw9PX

Interesting facts.🩸 Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood and or platelets. Approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U. S. Nearly 5,000 units of platelets and 6.500 units of plasma are needed daily in the U.S. Nearly 16 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S. Sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require blood transfusions throughout their lives. The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 units. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. Blood and platelets cannot be manufactured; they can only come from volunteer donors. The blood type most often requested by hospitals is type O. One donation can help save more than one life. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.9 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2023. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment. “To know that my blood, O negative blood, is literally the doctors’ and emergency rooms’ first line of defense – it’s very important for me to donate, and donate on a regular basis.” Ben C., type O negative donor LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW BLOOD DONATIONS HELP Blood Supply Statistics The Red Cross provides about 40% of our nation’s blood and blood components, all from generous volunteer donors. But supply can’t always meet demand because only about 3% of age-eligible people donate blood yearly. Each new donor helps us meet patient needs. Blood Supply Statistics Each year, an estimated 6.8 million people in the U.S. donate blood. 13.6 million units of whole blood and red blood cells are collected in the U.S. in a year. About 45% of people in the U.S. have Group O (positive or negative) blood; the proportion is higher among Hispanics (57%) and African Americans (51%). Type O negative red cells can be given to patients of all blood types. Because only 7% of people in the U.S. are type O negative, it’s always in great demand and often in short supply. Type AB plasma can be transfused to patients of all blood types. Since only 4% of people in the U.S. have type AB blood, this plasma is usually in short supply. Red blood cells must be used within 42 days (or less). Platelets must be used within just 5 days. Ready to Donate? Make an Appointment today. Ribc.org/drives. code 2787. Thank you..🩸 #HoganRI #HoganAssociatesRE #ChristiesInternationalRealEstate #Christieshomes #Christies [email protected] @tomrao 401-474-9004 #TomRao #RealEstateRI #HomesRI #Realtor #RI #NewportRI #MiddletownRI #PortsmouthRI #LuxuryRealEstate #TheClassicCoast #MyNewportLife #401love #whatsupnewp @hoganassociates #newportbuzz #topofthehillassociation #ribloodcenter #bigbrothersbigsistersofri #mealsonwheelsri