Cynthia Moon – About Sickle Cell Disease

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Social Events

The annual Holiday Party will be virtual this year. It will be on Friday, December 11, 2020 at 6:30PM. Everyone is invited and there is no cost to attend. Christian D. Larsen Awards for lifetime achievement will be awarded to members of CNO. There is no cost to attend. The ugly holiday sweater contest will begin at 6:30 with prizes for originality. At 7 PM will be the Award Presentation. At 7:30, there will be a Holiday Trivia contest.

Cynthia L. Moon, Sickle Cell Project Director at Dayton Children’s Hospital

Nancy Lehren introduced Cynthia L. Moon, MSE, the Region 2 Sickle Cell Project Director at Dayton Children’s Hospital (DCH). The state of Ohio notifies Moon each time a child in the West Ohio region has an abnormal hemoglobin result after a newborn screening. The primary care physician is notified as well. At this point, the doctor can provide the confirmatory testing and follow-up education or they can refer the family to Dayton Children’s Hospital.

CNO’s Childhood Health and Wellness committee annually hosts a Build-A-Bear for Sickle Cell patients through DCH. Moon thanked CNO for having this fun event each year; the kids love it.

Her presentation is titled, “West Central Ohio Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center/Ohio Newborn Screening Program for Hemoglobinopathies.”

You can view the slide deck here

Check the slide deck for additional details not listed in the article.

In Ohio, about 100 kids a year are born with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

Sickle Cell Disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S. Sickle Cell Disease is a term used to describe a group of disorders that affect the hemoglobin in red blood cells. The abnormal blood cells are shaped like a sickle. It is a life-long condition, characterized by pain and the disease does not have a universal cure. The abnormal cells are jagged, stiff, sticky and they tend to clump together and occlude blood flow. This then causes damage to tissue, blood vessels, organs and bone.

Sickle cell disease is an invisible disease. Many patients look normal but are experiencing severe pain and organ damage. They also deal with stigmas and stereotypes. To understand the pain of the disease, imagine having pieces of broken glass flowing through your body.

In the United States, 100,000 Americans are affected by SCD and it affects millions of people worldwide. Anyone can get SCD, although it is more common in people with heritage from Africa, Asia, Europe, Mediterranean areas (Turkey, Greece, Italy), Middle East and Central and South America.

Ohio’s 88 counties are served by six regional sickle cell projects (ORSCP). Each ORSCP is funded by a grant from the Ohio Department of Health Sickle Cell Services Program.

Moon’s region includes 17 counties. Her counties with the highest concentration of cases are Allen, Clark, Greene, and Montgomery. The headquarters for her region is the Hematology and Oncology Department at Dayton Children’s Hospital.