Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that affects one of every 400 African-Americans newborns in the United States. Sickle cell disease causes the red blood cells to change their shape from a round shape to a half-moon sickle shape. Individuals who have sickle cell disease have a different type of protein that carries oxygen in the blood (hemoglobin) than individuals without sickle cell disease. This different type of hemoglobin makes the red blood cell change into a crescent shape under certain conditions. Sickle shaped cells are a problem because the often get stuck on blood vessels blocking the flow of blood, and cause inflammation and injury to important areas of the body. These symptoms can lead to a painful occurrence called a "sickle cell crisis". Many individuals have to be admitted into the hospital because of the pain caused by a sickle cell crisis.