
20/08/2025
💬 An interview with James Griffin: Living and Advocating with Sickle Cell Disease
In our latest blog, Pre-approval Access Specialist John Massarelli sits down with James Griffin, patient, advocate, and author of ‘Breaking Silence: Living With Sickle Cell Anemia.’ During this conversation, James focuses on his experiences and perspectives on navigating the evolving landscape of sickle cell care in the United States.
💡Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited disorders where red blood cells become rigid and crescent-shaped instead of round and flexible. These misshapen cells can block blood flow, causing severe pain, organ damage, and other serious complications. Often considered an “invisible illness”, its pain and symptoms aren’t visible on the outside, leading to misunderstanding, stigma, and delays in urgent care.
James opens up about:
✔️His diagnosis journey and early treatments
✔️The challenges of an invisible illness
✔️Overcoming racial bias in healthcare
✔️ How patients are learning about new therapies
✔️Perspectives on gene therapy for Sickle cell disease
✔️ What BioPharma and providers can do better for the Sickle cell disease community
💚James’s story is not just about living with Sickle cell disease. It is about changing the narrative, pushing for equity, and ensuring patients’ voices guide every step of the care journey.
📖 Read the full interview here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0msBzh0