“I don’t know how I would have bought these foods without WIC, since I haven’t been able to work. They gave us formula, baby food and whole grains.”
Marie and Fernando have been in the United States with their kids Bryan (1) and Marc (7) for almost 3 years. When their youngest son was born, the family received support from WIC. “When we were in the hospital, they told us to apply for WIC, because they could help us with food. Applying for WIC was fast and easy.”
Marie and Fernando got formula and baby food for Bryan since he was born. Now that he just turned 1, formula and baby food have been switched for healthy, solid foods.
Sickle Cell Disease
Marie also suffers from sickle cell disease (SCD), which means she does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout her body. It’s an inherited disease that is passed down through both parents.
The Sickle Cell Disease Foundation (SCDF) supports people with SCD and their families to manage their disease. That could mean making sure they have transportation to their medical appointments, which was the case for Marie and Fernando. When Marie had medical appointments for her condition, they paid for Ubers so she could go to the hospital. They also supported Marie and Fernando with applying for WIC.
Blood Transfusion
It’s common for people with SCD to need blood transfusions. It can be essential to alleviating their symptoms and can even save a life. Marie had to have a blood transfusion in 2022. Sickle cell disease distorts soft and round red blood cells and turns them hard and crescent-shaped. As a result, blood has difficulty flowing smoothly and carrying oxygen to the rest of the body, which may lead to severe pain, tissue and organ damage, anemia, and even strokes. She was in a lot of pain and went to the hospital. The doctors determined she lost too much blood and needed a transfusion. “It was really scary,” Marie said, “but everything went well.”
Blood transfusions wouldn’t be possible without blood donors. That’s why Marie and Fernando believe it’s important that people donate blood. Patients who require frequent blood transfusions as part of their treatment, like those with sickle cell disease or thalassemia, can need close rare blood type matches to prevent these patients from developing complications from their transfusion therapy. The best blood type match for patients with rare blood types often comes from donors of the same race or similar ethnicity.
The American Red Cross lets donors know if their blood can help patients with SCD.
It Takes a Village
Organizations like WIC and SCDF work together to support families like Marie and Fernando’s. You can find more referrals to community organizations on this page.
