Sending a Child With Sickle Cell Disease off to College

Sickle cell disease afflicts about 100,000 people in the United States, many of them African Americans. It is an inherited blood disorder that can cause frequent infections and chronic pain. It's a disease that hits home for me and my family. My youngest son, Teemer Barry, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when he was a baby. This past fall, he went off to college. Most importantly, Teemer has had only one serious pain crisis. Going away for school while nursing a critically-ill disease can be especially hard for a young student. The goal is to help devise a care plan of independence that will hopefully lead to college graduation. Related story