Adult sickle cell clinic in Central Valley

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- When you look astatine Alexa, she doesn't look sick.

But the 21-year-old assemblage pupil has been dealing with a uncommon familial information since she was a baby.

Sickle Cell Disease is simply a wellness information that causes a person's reddish humor cells to go C-shaped oregon sickled alternatively of round.

It tin pb to respective complications, specified arsenic kidney nonaccomplishment oregon stroke.

For Alexa, it causes utmost pain.

"It's similar a stabbing pain," she said. "Stabbing and pinching are the main factors successful that pain. It starts successful my little back, but past it gravitates up to my neck. Just everyplace -- my joints, each associated successful my assemblage that you could perchance deliberation of."

This symptom has sent her to the infirmary aggregate times, sometimes for weeks-long stays.

Alexa says medicine helps negociate her condition, and she has regular appointments astatine UCSF Fresno's Sickle Cell Clinic astatine the Community Cancer Institute successful Clovis.

"I person plentifulness of sickle compartment patients present successful the Valley," says Dr. Stephanie Harris Mercado. "There are inactive much that are coming successful who didn't cognize that our sickle compartment session was here. Probably each month, I'm getting different 5 patients and getting transfers from Valley Children's Hospital."

Since the FDA approved 2 cistron therapy treatments for sickle compartment disease, Dr. Stephanie Harris Mercado and Dr. Mohammed Sani Bukari person been talking to patients to spot who they tin notation for it.

"It's a imaginable cure for this patient," Dr. Bukari said.

The archetypal therapy works by editing the DNA successful a patient's stem cells, which are liable for making the body's humor cells.

The 2nd provides patients with a modified mentation of the cistron that produces a signifier of hemoglobin that helps defy the clumping of the humor cells

While Alexa isn't considering the treatments, she believes it volition beryllium a game-changer for patients whose lives person been disrupted by the disease.

"I deliberation it's really, truly bully for the patients that truly request it," she said.

The Sickle Cell Clinic is present waiting to spot which therapy volition beryllium covered by wellness security and what plans volition screen it.

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