The St. Maarten Sickle Cell Foundation graced the audience on Thursday, November 17th with an educational information session on sickle cell disease, from both an academic and personal perspective.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Leslie King a pediatrician and Head of the Clinical Services at Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), (formerly Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI), UWI) Jamaica . Since 2000, she works as a pediatrician at the Sickle Cell Unit.
Dr. Cone was also a guest speaker at the event a Howard University graduate with a B.S. degree in chemistry and a M.D. degree. An accomplished professor at The American University of the Caribbean with over 20 years teaching experience.
The audience also heard from two persons living with the disease namely Ewart Adams an accomplished Toastmaster of Guyana and a shareholder of Insurance of Guyana Limited and Jurella Moses a young Sint Maartener who aspires to be an architect.
All presenters indicated the need to know ones status especially when considering having children. The organization plans to continue giving more educational sessions in the community and is also looking for additional volunteers and members.
This information session was the collaborative effort of the St. Maarten Sickle Cell Foundation and the American University of the Caribbean.