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By Michael Kinney
Picture of Putnam Metropolis West assistant women basketball coach Allen Russell
Allen Russell remembers precisely the place he was the primary time it occurred.
Whereas his mom tells him he had different episodes, he has vivid reminiscences of the second he understood what kind of impression sickle cell anemia was going to have on his life.
“I used to be a sophomore at Lawton Excessive, getting back from a soccer scrimmage at Mustang. I used to be sitting on a bus and out of nowhere, my coronary heart simply begins racing fairly unhealthy,” Russell recounted. “I simply began hurting unhealthy throughout, by no means skilled something like that earlier than.
“After I acquired to the hospital, my coronary heart was beating like 180 beats per minute. Then my physique was simply in a lot ache. I’ll always remember my coaches on the time have been attempting to maintain me calm on the bus. I used to be simply so scared and I believed was about to die; I imply, it was the worst, the scariest time of my life.”
From that second on, Russell’s life has been a continuing battle to include the results of the sickle cell illness. Whereas it has not been simple, the 36-year outdated Putnam Metropolis West assistant women basketball coach now desires to assist others who must endure the identical points.
Sickle cell anemia is considered one of a bunch of issues generally known as sickle cell illness (SCD). It’s an inherited pink blood cell dysfunction during which there aren’t sufficient wholesome pink blood cells to hold oxygen all through your physique.
In line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC), sickle cell illness impacts roughly 100,000 People and happens amongst about 1 out of each 365 African-American births. The CDC additionally says about 1 in 13 Black infants are born with the sickle cell trait.
It’s a lifelong illness that may be a load to hold financially as nicely. A research in 2015 estimated the common value per affected person a month is at $1,389, with a lifetime value of care of roughly $460,000 per affected person with SCD.
Whereas sickle cell illness may be cured in some sufferers with bone marrow transplants, sickle cell anemia has no treatment. However there are therapies to alleviate the ache.
“I’m going each 4 to 6 weeks to do what they name a blood substitute,” Russell stated. “What they do is that they take out unhealthy blood and change it with good blood. So, it helps me really feel lots higher.
“After my therapies, I’ve much more power as a result of it’s much more pink blood cells which can be regular cells, that they’re changing the sickle cells with.”
In October of 2020, Russell helped create the Sick of Sickle Cell (S.O.S) Basis with fellow coaches Lenny Bert, Marques Warrior and Jessie Brown. The non-profit basis is aiming to convey consciousness to a illness that has gone unnoticed in most mainstream communities, in accordance with Russell.
“I began it as a result of it’s one thing that I take care of every single day. Having sickle cell anemia, sickle cell illness, simply being in ache on a regular basis,” Russell stated. “You don’t hear about it such as you hear about most cancers or stuff like that. It’s one thing that impacts the African-American neighborhood approach an excessive amount of.
“So, why not begin one thing that would assist folks by simply bringing consciousness to that?”
Russell believed one of the best ways he can do that’s by what he is aware of finest. So he created the annual Sick of Sickle Cell (SOS) Excessive College Showcase. Now in its third yr, the showcase is drawing among the prime groups from all courses within the state.
This yr, the SOS Showcase is ready for Friday and Saturday at Putnam Metropolis West Excessive College. Video games begin at 2 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday.
A complete of 12 video games are scheduled over the two-day interval. Women and boys groups from throughout Oklahoma are scheduled to compete. They embrace Del Metropolis (boys, women), Putnam Metropolis West (B, G), Choctaw (B), Tulsa Central (B, G), Millwood (G), Bishop McGuiness (G) and Classen SAS (B, G).
There are additionally different groups scheduled to compete in RW Goines Stem Academy (B) from Arlington, Texas, and Immanuel Lutheran Christian Academy Nationwide (B) from Damaged Arrow.
Proceeds from the showcase will go to the Sick of Sickle group, which is devoted to bettering the social well being and high quality of life for kids, adults and households dwelling with Sickle Cell.
That features Russell handing out two scholarships annually to college students who’ve been identified with the illness or are caregivers for relations who’ve it.
“I simply need folks to concentrate on what folks with sickle cell anemia undergo every single day,” Russell stated. “How they’re handled after they go to the hospital from medical doctors and even nurses, as a result of they assume that you just simply need medicine or one thing like that.
“However you might be really in plenty of ache, and there’s nothing you are able to do about it.”
In line with Russell, final yr the occasion raised greater than $10,000. This yr, they’ve an opportunity to double that after a big donation from Hampton Houses in Oklahoma Metropolis.
“We wish to positively develop the basketball match. It permits us to speak to extra folks and allow them to know what sickle cell is,” Russell stated. “And simply convey them or give them an consciousness of the way it impacts the neighborhood.”
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