Albany nonprofit kicks off Sickle cell Awareness Month

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) -September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month and while we’re not in September quite yet, one Albany organization is celebrating the awareness month ahead of its time.

The event “Iron Up” was hosted to bring important health information to the Good Life City.

Iron Up is an annual event hosted by the nonprofit to celebrate Sickle Cell Awareness Month.(Level Up)

Genesic Nonprofit Organization Incorporated hosted the annual event at Robert Cross Park Saturday morning.

Local businesses and organizations partnered with them to bring in the awareness month with some fun.

Albany Tech was even there with their Stem lab to help promote health awareness in the community.

Vallerie Lewis, Genesic Nonprofit Organization Secretary, said that not knowing important health information can impact future generations.

Lewis encourages residents to donate blood to help those impacted by sickle cell.(Level Up)

“We need to come together and say ‘I want this, I want my life, I want my future family members to have a life’ and contrary to what people believe, sickle cell patients can have children,” she said. “Sickle cell patients can have children without sickle cell amenia. So, you’ve got to empower yourself to know that information in order to give your future generations that opportunity to live in a better situation.”

Lewis also said that donating blood can make a difference in a sickle cell patient’s life.

She encourages the community to get involved in sickle cell awareness month to make a change.