Close to my Heart
Diseases that Require Blood Donations
Why is it important that African- Americans give blood?
Blood that closely matches a patient’s ethnicity has a better chance of being received by the donor with fewer complications following a transfusion. Genetically-similar blood is better for patients who need repeated blood transfusions.
African-American donors are very important simply because 70% of the African-American population have blood types O and B, and they are most in demand. By donating, you are helping suffering fellow African-Americans with such diseases as cancer, heart disease, and sickle cell anemia.
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sickle cell anemia affects more than 70,000 people in the United States. Most, not all, of them are African-American. Sickle Cell is not a BLACK DISEASE; it is a disease that affects EVERY ETHINIC GROUP. Many need blood transfusions every few weeks to help treat the effects of the disease. Blood from donors of the same ethnic background decreases the chance of causing complications for patients.
I believe that those affected with Sickle Cell need to communicate clearly with any medical personnel when being treated with an episode. Be clear and direct with the first responders, the emergency room personnel, and care providers.
When elected as your State Senator, I will do all in my power to support the various Florida Sickle Cell foundations. I will be a bridge for disparity gaps between political, private sector, profit and non-profits to find as many resources as possible to support this under-financed work.
Cancer
“Joshua” was a cancer patient. Take a look at Joshua’s journey - blood transfusion after transfusion. Sometimes he had to wait for a transfusion until there was a matching African- American donor; and ultimately he received a bone marrow transplant. I understand the great need for continuous funding for pediatric healthcare. When Joshua was going thru his journey, his parents fought and fought to ensure he was always covered medically. One month he was fully covered, the next month he was partially covered, and the next month he had no coverage. When there was no coverage his parents had to pay out of pocket for his doctor visits, hospital stay, and medications. Joshua fought a good fight. He succumbed to cancer June 10, 2020, he was 22 years old. The healthcare system failed to insure him in time to receive all the medical he need to survive, That is why I believe all Floridians should have access to HEALTHCARE.
Please become a blood donor
Please become a bone marrow donor
Please become a plasma donor
Other Chronic Diseases
Diabetes
So many people suffer from Diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, and many of them don’t even know it yet. Make sure you get your annual physical so that your blood, weight, and blood pressure are checked to ensure that your blood sugar is within normal range. There are many new, mostly expensive medications that are available today to help keep blood sugar down, but one of our supermarket chains gives free Metformin and Lisinopril. One thing there is not enough of is sugar-free, low-carb dessert. If you do have diabetes, don’t eat dessert that is not sugar-free. The complications are not worth it.
Arthritis
There are different types of arthritis. A few of them are osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. They are all different but they all hurt at some time. Some people can get by with Tylenol or aspirin for their pain. Some people need more therapeutic treatment. Luckily for people with good health insurance, they can get the new treatments to keep their disease from progressing or, at most, progressing slowly. Unfortunately for those who cannot afford health insurance – or good health insurance – they have to depend on the Tylenol or aspirin. Arthritis doesn’t choose its victims by looking at their bank accounts or checking their insurance. It hits indiscriminately among every gender, every race, every religion, every age, every community.
Crohn’s Disease
“Bill” was only 12 thirty years ago, when he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. His parents said, “What is that?” Then the three of them went through the rollercoaster ride of their lives. Bill missed up to six weeks of school every year. He missed the opportunity to spend time with his friends because he was hooked up to two IV pumps from 5:30 every night to 5:30 every morning for seven months. But those IV pumps supplied him with the nutrients that his intestines couldn’t absorb, and they were lifesavers. Bill tried every new medication that came onto the market, but nothing worked well and for a long time he depended on prednisone just to get through a day.
Luckily for Bill, when he was in his late 20’s, and he was down to under 120 pounds at 6’ tall, he and his parents learned about Remicade, a new medication that was being used for Rheumatoid Arthritis and now for Crohn’s Disease as well. He started taking it at his doctor’s office, and his body responded very well and started healing (there is no cure for Crohn’s Disease). Then, for insurance reasons, his doctor’s office stopped giving the infusions and sent its patients to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital the co-pay was $600. Without good health insurance and a steady job, Bill knew that he couldn’t afford to continue treatment. His mother spoke to someone she knew whose office did do infusions, and she was told to send Bill to his office. Thankfully, Bill was able to resume his treatment and there is a good end to this story – so far. But if Bill should lose his job with a good employer that offers good insurance for him and his family, without the no-pre-existing-condition clause of the ACA he may not be able to afford the insurance to continue his infusions if he could even get it. Without insurance, it would cost him about $2,300 every eight weeks.
Pediatric Healthcare
Children always need to be covered, even if their parents are not. The State of Florida needs to support that. I will fight for continuous pediatric healthcare for our children. I will fight for pediatric cancer patients. I will fight for pediatric Sickle Cell patients. I will fight for pediatric Autism. I will fight for children who learn at a slower rate. I will fight for all of our children. They are our future.