{"id":59816,"date":"2025-11-25T05:13:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T05:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/59816\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T05:13:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T05:13:06","slug":"sickle-cell-research-center-in-st-petersburg-has-grand-opening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/59816\/","title":{"rendered":"Sickle cell research center in St. Petersburg has grand opening"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Foundation For Sickle Cell Disease Research St. Petersburg Center for Excellence had its grand opening ceremony Sunday.<\/p>\n

The facility joins 14 other foundation-led centers across the state. It has been open for approximately two months.<\/p>\n

Offering various programs to help with case and medical management as well as social work services, the nonprofit\u2019s team is dedicated to making a difference for sickle cell disease patients.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ: CDC staffing cuts put future of sickle cell data program \u2014 and patients \u2014 in jeopardy<\/a><\/p>\n

These patients can receive treatments such as transcranial Doppler ultrasounds and IV therapies at each center.<\/p>\n

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, sickle cell disease is an illness that impacts hemoglobin or the \u201cmajor protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells.\u201d<\/p>\n

This causes red blood cells to be inadequately shaped and can result in blocked blood flow. Implications include severe pain, stroke, lung issues, infections and kidney disease.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ: Florida lawmakers secure $3.75 million to advance sickle cell treatment<\/a><\/p>\n

State Sen. Darryl Rouson, who spoke at the event, played a key role in bringing the center to St. Petersburg. Since 2021, he has procured more than $30 million for the Foundation For Sickle Cell Disease Research. Part of those funds have helped create centers, including the St. Petersburg location.<\/p>\n

Rouson was able to secure funding this year to cover transportation needs for patients. Each of the foundation\u2019s 15 centers will receive two vans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first time in St. Petersburg that a community operation like a sickle cell disease treatment center has opened up,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s significant that we have treatment and a cure, but it needs to be accessible and close to the people who need it.\u201d<\/p>\n

ALSO READ: Rouson will get his name on USF’s mental health center, after all<\/a><\/p>\n

Alongside treatment, the facility will be a place for clinical research.<\/p>\n

The center is dedicated to Mary Murph, the founder and president of the St. Petersburg chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.<\/p>\n

She became an advocate for sickle cell research over 50 years ago after her two daughters were diagnosed with the condition. One of them died from the disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone knows the work \u2013 the tireless work \u2013 that she\u2019s put into getting out information and getting people to treatment,\u201d Rouson added. \u201cShe is most deserving of this honor.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Foundation For Sickle Cell Disease Research St. Petersburg Center for Excellence had its grand opening ceremony Sunday.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":59817,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-59816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}