A Palm Beach County foundation is working to raise awareness of sickle cell disease and to connect affected families with support. The condition can cause severe pain and serious health problems.
Ticarey Jones, 17, a senior at Inlet Grove Community High School, has the disease. He said the Sickle Cell Foundation of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast has changed his life. His painful crises were more frequent when he was younger, he said, and they have become less common as he has grown older. The program, he said, lets him do things he could not otherwise do.
Shalonda Warren, the foundation’s CEO, said the group was founded more than 50 years ago by Eva Mack, a health activist, nurse and the first Black mayor of West Palm Beach. Warren said South Florida has a high concentration of cases. Florida ranks second in the nation for sickle cell incidence, behind New York, she said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease affects about 100,000 people in the United States, and more than 90% of them are African American. Many patients do not get recommended screenings or treatment.
The foundation offers counseling, nutrition services, teen focus groups and professional pain management therapy. Anessha Hanif, who has the sickle cell trait, has volunteered with the group for years. She donates proceeds from its annual Fashion Affair fundraiser to support children in school.
The Fashion Affair is set for Nov. 14, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m. More information is available at sicklecellpbc.org.
