This weekend was a beautiful reminder of what can happen when patients, physicians, researchers, and community come together with a shared commitment to improving the lives of people living with sickle cell disease.

❤️ I had the opportunity to attend the 2026 Emory & Grady Sickle Cell Disease Research Day, and it was an incredibly educational and thoughtfully designed day of learning, conversation, and connection. Dr. Wally Smith’s keynote was truly a masterclass in sickle cell care and reinforced the importance of building a model of care that bridges divides and promotes collaboration. Patient. Physician. Community. That triad matters. Patients bring lived experience. Physicians and researchers bring clinical and scientific expertise. Community organizations help bridge the space between healthcare systems and the realities families face every day. When those voices genuinely work together, we can create care that is not only clinically excellent, but responsive, accessible, and grounded in the lives of the people it serves. Throughout the day, we also received valuable education around transfusion medicine, research, drug development, patient-reported outcomes, gene and transformative therapies, and more. One of the most powerful portions was the patient community panel. Individuals living with sickle cell disease spoke candidly about navigating different phases of life—from growing up with SCD and transitioning into adult care to adulthood, treatment decisions, and transformative therapy. Research matters. Innovation matters. Clinical expertise matters. But the voices and experiences of people living with sickle cell disease must remain at the center. Thank you to Emory University School of Medicine and Grady Health System, the presenters, researchers, clinicians, patients, advocates, and everyone who contributed to such a meaningful day. I left with new knowledge, new questions, and an even greater appreciation for what becomes possible when we intentionally bring the entire sickle cell community to the same table. This is how we move the needle—together. ❤️ #SickleCellDisease #SickleCellResearch #SickleCellCommunity #SCDPatientVoice