VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 10 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27TH 2018
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SICKLE CELL DAY DELLIA RISMAY/TORONTO CARIBBEAN
June 19th , 2018, marked the first recognized National Sickle Cell Awareness Day in Canada. The country is the first in the world to legally recognize the day. To honor its significance, the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario, also known as SCAGO, invited those affected by the disease, including patients and their loved ones, medical professionals, and dignitaries to take part in a flag raising ceremony and reception at Toronto City Hall. Lanre Tunji-Ajayi, the CEO of SCAGO, welcomed the crowd on the podium roof of Toronto City Hall, where all were gathered to watch the flag of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada (or SCDAC) being raised. SCAGO is a member of the national body, which regulates patient advocacy throughout Canada. Dignitaries present for the event included Lloyd Wilks, Toronto’s Consul General of Jamaica, Derrick James, Toronto’s Consul General of Grenada, Jane Cordy, Senator for Nova Scotia, and James Pasternak, a councilor for the city of Toronto. Also present were Dr. Isaac Odame, Chair of the Global Sickle Cell Network, Kabu Asante, President of the African-Canadian Social Development Council, Joseph Bodun Macaulay, and Jenny Gumbs, President/CEO and Chair of SCDAC, re-
spectively. With the introduction of National Sickle Cell Awareness Day, those in the sickle cell community hope to increase visibility and knowledge of the disease. Groups that have been advocating for more knowledge of sickle cell disease, such as SCDAC and its member organizations like SCAGO have been working towards making National Sickle Cell Awareness Day a reality. Lanre told Toronto Caribbean Newspaper about how important it is to have an officially recognized day for sickle cell disease. “It is monumental, not only for the Awareness Group of Ontario alone, but also for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada that worked very hard on this bill, and also for the general sickle cell community,” she explained. “It’s a day that will open up a lot of opportunities for us in terms of awareness creating, in terms of education. Many of the care providers in this province still don’t have strong knowledge around sickle cell disease. When our patients present for treatment, they sometimes tag them as drug seekers. So, having more opportunities to raise awareness will really expose sickle cell disease to more people.” Continued On Page 5