Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a serious inherited disorder of red blood cells that shortens life and causes life-long problems. One of the most common genetic diseases in America, SCD affects 1 of every 375 African-American live births, and can be identified by routine newborn screening. SCD manifests with vaso-occlusive events, the most common of which is the "sickle pain crisis," which causes severe and unrelenting pain, typically in the back, chest, or long bones. Other types of vaso-occlusive events involve the spleen, brain (stoke), retina, bones, kidney and lungs. Patients are at increased risk for death due to bacterial infections, damage to vital organs, or aplastic crisis (failure to produce any red cells), and often suffer chronic organ damage.