The inception of our involvement in sickle cell advocacy dates back to 2008, culminating in the establishment of SIFC in 2016. Throughout the years, we have actively engaged with White House officials, state representatives, pharmaceutical companies, and medical professionals, striving to raise awareness about the condition of sickle cell patients and drive meaningful improvements in their treatment.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell and Dominique Friend

• 2023 - Present: Sickle Rise Up Ready -Sickle Justice Campaign

• 2022: Participated in "The Rise Up Study" facilitated by Agios Pharmaceuticals, INC

• 2019 - 2022: Elected General Assembly President, Sickle Cell Community Consortium

• 2019: Special Innovative Project: “Tackling Emergency Department Care”, A Sickle Cell Warrior’s Perspective - Sponsored by Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

• 2018: Accepted an invitation to speak at an international conference -ICHOM-Netherlands – on the importance of Patient Reported Outcomes to improving health care

• 2017: Launched a “Sickle Cell Disease Faith based Tour of Awareness”. This project was sponsored by Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), Trina Braxton, National Gospel recording artist Vashawn Mitchell, and others

• 2017: Hosted a Press Conference to announce Fair Treatment for Sickle Cell Warriors Movement - no longer will we sit and allow mistreatment, discrimination, and stigmatization from Emergency Departments/hospital professionals

• 2016: Established the non-profit organization Sickle International Family Coalition

• 2016: Collaborated in securing funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the Emergency Department Project, aimed at enhancing care for individuals with Sickle Cell Disease. In partnership with Qsource, a quality improvement organization based in Memphis, TN, and MD LOGIX, a Baltimore-based company dedicated to advancing healthcare through webtool development, we jointly embarked on a two-year pilot program to elevate the standard of care in the Emergency Department of Memphis, TN

• 2015-2016: Launched the Emergency Department Task Force and met with Sylvia Burwell, U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services

• 2012-2014: Initiated the formation of collaborations with MD LOGIX to create a specialized Sickle Cell Disease Webtool designed for Emergency Department utilization. Fostered relationships and partnerships with esteemed organizations such as the Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the American College of Physicians (ACEP)

• 2011: Planned & hosted a White House Faith based Roundtable with National Faith based leaders about the state of sickle cell

• 2010: First visit to The White House, met with Kareem Dale, special assistant to President Obama about the state of sickle cell

• 2009: Memoir published “Sickle” A personal story of pain, purpose and perseverance

• 2008: My advocacy journey began by hosting monthly diverse focus groups to determine what people knew about Sickle Cell Disease.