Undated -- Here's something you just don't hear every day.
This weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wildcard playoff game. But Steelers safety Ryan Clark will be watching from the sidelines. Last time he played in Denver, he nearly died. Clark has a sickle cell trait.
In 2007, it still hadn't been diagnosed and flared up when he played in Denver. Clark ended up having his gall bladder and spleen removed in addition to losing 30 pounds. This time, he'll be on the bench.
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, more than two million Americans have sickle cell trait. But what does that mean?
Normal red blood cells are disc-shaped and look like doughnuts without the holes in the center. They move easily through your blood vessels. But when a person has a sickle cell trait, their blood cells are abnormally crescent shaped and can get stuck in blood vessels and block blood flow. Blocked blood flow can cause pain, serious infections, and organ damage. If a person gets the sickle cell trait from both parents, they may have sickle cell anemia -- the most serious form of the disease.
Here in the Triad, the Adeja Johnson Foundation is dedicated to educating the community about sickle cell anemia and helping families battling the disease. It's in memory of 12-year-old Adeja Johnson. She died in 2010 of complications stemming from sickle cell disease and subsequent transplants.
More Information:
Adeja Johnson Foundation
Sickle Cell Information
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America