Recognizing Sickle Cell Warriors: Our September in Review

Healing Beyond Medicine at NYU 

On September 10th, our team joined advocates, medical professionals, and Sickle Cell Warriors at NYU’s 2026 Sickle Cell Disease Symposium: Healing Beyond Medicine. The symposium explored the role of music, mental health support, and nutrition in the lives of people living with SCD.  

God’s Love We Deliver (GLWD) joined a panel on nutrition as a modifiable determinant of health, one that can support quality of life and complement medical treatment. Panelists discussed how nutrition affects people living with SCD and what resources and evidence-based recommendations are currently available. 

We shared how our free, medically tailored meal program supports people living with SCD, a condition added to our eligibility list in 2022. Since then, we have served nearly 60 individuals with SCD. Because we serve dependents and a caregiver in the same household at no cost, entire families receive meals. Clients are also matched with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for free nutrition education and counseling, as often as they need. In the communities we serve, access to nutrition support and dietitians is often limited, so pairing meals with expert guidance is essential.  

Work still ahead 

The panel highlighted existing resources, but the conversation kept returning to how much progress is still needed. There are no standardized, SCD-specific nutrition guidelines, even though growing evidence points to nutrition’s role in supporting symptom management and long-term health. New York City is fortunate to have advocates, clinicians, and organizations expanding access to care and knowledge about SCD, but all of us working in community and healthcare settings can help ensure people living with SCD are better served.  

Learning from the community at Montefiore  

On September 18th, we attended the annual Sickle Cell Awareness event at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, which brought together clinicians, community organizations, Sickle Cell Warriors, and their families. Warriors and family members shared what it is like to live with SCD and the barriers they face in getting care. We are grateful to have been part of the event and thank everyone for their openness and honesty.  

Approximately 70% of our clients living with SCD live in the Bronx, and most are between the ages of 2 and 29. Strengthening our presence in the Bronx remains a priority as we work to expand access to services. 

Get in touch with us 

If you or someone you care for lives in the five boroughs of New York City and has been diagnosed with SCD, contact us at outreach@glwd.org to learn more about our free medically tailored meal program.  

We are grateful to everyone working to improve care for people living with SCD, and we look forward to continuing this work together.