CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The Medical University of South Carolina Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital is teaming up with Make-A-Wish South Carolina on Wednesday for a truly magical event.
They will be hosting a scoop-a-thon ice cream fundraiser and a wish reveal for a little boy who has sickle cell disease.
Today’s event will run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Charleston Medical District Greenway.
The restaurant Culver’s, which is a national Make-A-Wish partner, is generously providing the ice cream.
Previous wish kids, who are now ambassadors, will help serve.
Wednesday’s wish reveal is sure to be a moment that will touch hearts.
A 9-year-old boy named Yuri, bravely battling sickle cell disease, will see his dreams come true as he learns he’ll be going to a magical place in Florida with his family on July 30th.
Sickle cell is a disease of the red blood cells in which the cells become hard and sticky causing pain.
Director of Pediatric Sickle Cell for MUSC Dr. Tina Abrams says she is excited about the medical advancements for sickle cells.
“The biggest thing is in the last seven or eight years we’ve had three more drugs that have been approved to help treat sickle disease, Abrams said. And then on the horizon, there’s gene therapy and bone marrow transplant, which is really the only thing that will cure sickle cell disease.”
It’s essential for patients to have something uplifting to look forward to during challenging times.
“It is so important for their mental health and for their quality of life getting them to feel as typical as you can for a child who does has an illness that requires them to come to the hospital often for well checks and for hospitalizations or ER visits is really important because they want to feel like a kid like all their other friends,” Abrams said.
Every penny raised during this scoop-a-thon will be going to MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Make-A-Wish S.C.
Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.
MUSC AND Make-A-Wish team up to grant a 9 year old’s wish
