The Sickle Cell Patient & Family Educational Symposium aka The Gathering is an annual event designed to bring the sickle cell community together. It’s focused on celebrating warriors, parents, family members, friends, and caregivers, those who fight on the front lines daily the battle against sickle cell disease. The mission of the Gathering is to encourage participants to live vibrantly with sickle cell, achieve all their dreams and potential, while managing their health.

All are invited who are directly impacted in some way by sickle cell disease. All ages are welcome. The Gathering gives us all an opportunity to share our collective experiences, learn together, share together, and form lasting bonds and friendship.

This year’s program promises to be even a more enriching educational experience. The topics for the Gathering have been carefully selected by topics requested by the members of the sickle cell community.

The agenda is designed by the sickle cell community with topics identified by patients, caregivers and healthcare supporters.

This year the program includes an opening reception with icebreakers hosted by IASCNAPA on Thursday, July 28th and topics ranging from “Parenting Issues from Birth to Adult” and “The Science of Sickle Cell” to “Sickle Cell Mental Health” and “Sickle Cell and College Life”.

On Saturday, July 30th there will be an Awards Gala to recognize individuals and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) who embody the mission of advocacy and the spirit of collaboration.

We will wrap-up on Sunday, July 31st with Breakfast with the Warriors and Keynote speaker followed by an intensive Advocacy Training Certification workshop with Sickle Cell Warriors, Inc.

Attendees are invited to participate in the National Medical Association Sickle Cell Symposium at the end of the meeting.