In a significant stride for healthcare in Georgia, the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia recently lifted the curtain on the Sickle Cell Sanctuary, a pioneering center targeting the care needs of roughly 13,000 Georgians grappling with sickle cell disease, a chronic blood disorder characterized by misshapen red blood cells leading to complications such as pain, infection, and stroke. Situated on Benjamin E. Mays Drive, southwest Atlanta, the Sickle Cell Sanctuary represents the materialization of an idea conceived in 2021 by the foundation’s Executive Director, Tabitha McGee, who said, "We felt that they needed something, that they can feel special, a safe place, a safe haven for them," according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
This new sanctuary sets itself apart by providing not only conventional medical care but also holistic supportive care, which will address notably the management of pain—shaping an integrative care ecosystem for sickle cell patients in a spa-like environment McGee elaborated on the variety of services saying "We have our holistic doctor. We have a registered nurse, we have a nurse practitioner that will all be operating inside of the Sickle Cell Sanctuary. And so, we are going to be focused on pain. So, with the massages that we're doing, the acupuncture that we're doing, the I.V. infusion and I.V. hydration, those things are all focusing on pain." as noted by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Finance for this haven stems from a mix of state, local, and private funds ensuring that the sanctuary's services will be provided free of charge. McGee points out the significance of cost-free access, stating, "They don't have to worry about, 'I don't have enough money, you know, to be able to afford that service.' They can just come here and be taken care of." This move is poised to bring significant relief to patients, and program coordinator of the Sickle Cell Foundation, Keecilon Wright who is also battling sickle cell disease herself, expressed her optimism telling FOX 5 Atlanta, "This is going to allow other people that have sickle cell like me, allow them to know that they will have a better tomorrow, a better week, or better days, because they can come here, relax, ease their mind and get healed from the inside."
Despite the new sanctuary, Georgians battling sickle cell disease still have access to the Georgia Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Grady, which boasts of being the world's first 24-hour acute care center for adult patients with this condition. It offers both appointment-based comprehensive primary care and around-the-clock acute services for pain crisis management, backed up by a team of specialists in sickle cell disease. This information is available through the center's online resource Grady Health.
Regarding the Sickle Cell Sanctuary, the community eagerly anticipates its official opening, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for June 18, 2024. Blaze Eppinger, who has personally endured the difficulties of living with the disease, echoed the collective sentiment, "It's just a crazy time for sickle cell. And, I'm glad that we are going to change so many lives. Not just today, but tomorrow in the future," according to an interview with FOX 5 Atlanta.
