Traveling with Sickle Cell Anemia and Type 1 Diabetes

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In this episode, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Elle Cole, a traveling and fearless travel mom, and medical advocate! I invited Elle to be on my podcast today to talk about a very unique travel special consideration...okay well actually two! Elle’s daughter has Sickle Cell Anemia and Type 1 Diabetes and you will be surprised to learn that Sickle Cell affects more people than you may have learned about in health class. Sickle Cell Anemia is described by Elle in this episode and she shares about how she is able to travel and her advice about working with a travel agent when planning a vacation. In particular, there are things to consider such a flying for individuals with Sickle Cell that affects oxygen levels when flying. Elle's daughter also has Type 1 diabetes. This type of diabetes currently has no cure and medical professionals still do not understand why it occurs. We also discuss how Elle manages her daughter's diet and keeps her insulin to help better support her during their vacations. In this episode, we dive into traveling with Sickel Cell Anemia and Type 1 diabetes and things you really need to consider before traveling.

I know this episode has been released at the end of the month but I wanted to emphasize that September is also Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness Month. Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that affects the body’s red blood cells. It occurs when a child receives two sickle cell genes—one from each parent. In someone living with this disease, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a “sickle”. In this episode, we’ll chat about how it affects travel and what you can do to better support your clients or disclose this information to your travel agent so they can better understand and help you plan an unforgettable trip.

A program called Be the Match helps those with Sickle Cell Anemia and Cancer receive a bone marrow transplant match to find a cure. Unfortunately, black people only represent 4% of the registry. By joining people would sign up to send in a cheek swab to join the registry so they can be matched in the future. Right now, bone marrow and stem cell transplants are the main ways that people with sickle cell and cancer are being cured. September is both Sickle Cell Awareness Month and Childhood Cancer awareness month.

To find out how you can help visit Be the Match Donor or - Text "SC3Carley" to the number 61474 or visit join.bethematch.org/SC3Carley for more information.

Guest:

Elle Cole is a mom of twin daughters, one of whom is living with Sickle Cell Anemia. She serves as a health advocate for Sickle Cell Disease and Type 1 Diabetes. She is an ambassador for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. And raises awareness about Sickle Cell Disorders to help make the quality of life for people living with genetic disorders and autoimmune diseases better.
Elle is also the author of "A Sickle Cell Coloring Book for Kids". This book seeks to simplify and explain the symptoms of SCD. When raising a child with a genetic disorder such as SCD there is so much to learn, so the author simplifi