September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month

#BoldLipsForSickleCell

A friend on Instagram tagged numerous women including myself to participate in #BoldLipsForSickleCell photo challenge as a way to help raise awareness of the disease and knowing your status (whether you carry the trait).

Now, I'm not one for lipstick so I was a bit apprehensive once tagged however, I was interested in knowing more about Sickle Cell Anemia. I have only known one person that has the trait and they have a child with Sickle Cell but I never went any further to ask questions.

Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells. People with sickle cell have red blood cells that contain mostly hemoglobin S, which is an abnormal type of hemoglobin (normal blood cells contain hemoglobin A). These blood cells do not last as long as normal blood cells and can sometimes become sickle-shaped (like a crescent) which makes it difficult to pass through small blood vessels. With many of these sickle shaped blood cells blocking small blood vessels, blood flow is limited which causes complications.
(Source: Sickle Cell Disease Association of America)

For information on Sickle Cell, traits, medical problems, treatments, to donate, and more please visit: 

sicklecelldisease.org

The easiest part is being informed and donating...Now...I am going to also participate in the photo challenge: 

this is the only color lippie I own (lol).

I'm tagging EVERYONE!!! 

-Creatively Coiled