Sickle cell to take spotlight Saturday, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day

Carlous Drake, photographed in his father's recording studio Thursday, will host a gospel concert at Olivet Baptist Church on Saturday to raise funds for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Tennessee. HOW TO HELP

Passion of Praise Concert at Olivet Baptist Church. 6 p.m. Saturday. Donations requested.

Sickle Cell Awareness Carnival at Coolidge Park. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Local Bone Marrow Registry office is at 423-752-5951.

What it is: Sickle cell disease is an inherited group of red blood cell disorders. Abnormally shaped red blood cells get stuck in small blood vessels and block the flow of blood and oxygen to organs in the body. The blockages can cause repeated episodes of severe pain, organ damage, serious infections and stroke.

Who it affects: Sickle cell affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the United States, mainly blacks. It occurs among one out of every 36,000 Hispanic-American births. It is especially common among people who have ancestry in sub-Saharan Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Central America, Saudi Arabia, India and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

The pain from sickle cell is like placing your thumb on the table and having someone slam a hammer on it, says Carlous Drake.

Then there's the frustration of not being in school because of the illness and needing tutors to help you catch up on lessons that other classmates already know.

Drake dealt with that kind of pain and frustration until sixth grade, when doctors learned that a drug initially used for cancer patients also allowed him to live virtually pain free.

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Sickle cell to take spotlight Saturday, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day