Hina Patel Foundation’s 7th annual run in Bakersfield, CA, on September 12.
By Raghavendra M
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A foundation run by an Indian American couple in Bakersfield, California, will host its annual run campaign September 12 to support research on sickle cell disease, a genetic disease.
Sanjay Patel and Bhavana Patel, the founders of Hina Patel Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease, are raising funds to help individuals suffering from the sickle cell disease and to create awareness among their families, reported Bakersfield Californian.
The pharmacist couple founded the charity in 2010 after they witnessed their daughter Hina suffering from the dreaded disease. This will be their seventh annual run at Riverwalk Park and the collected fund will benefit research at locations such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Centre.
During a talk at “First Look with Scott Cox”, Sanjay Patel said that there are 250 million people in the world that carry the sickle cell gene. “It’s a very cruel disease, you just never know what’s going to happen”, he said.
Sickle cell anemia is a lifelong genetic disorder that originated as a prevention mechanism from Malaria. As a reaction, the gene becomes defective and causes the normal blood cells to die too quickly, explained Patel.
As the damaged sickle cells travel through the body they then become stuck, cutting off the oxygen from other parts of the body and causing them to die.
Scientists across the globe are working hard to find a genetic therapy to cure the disease, Patel added.
The charity run will take place at Riverwalk Park on September 12, at 8 am. For more information, visit: Hinapatelfoundation.org