Editor’s Note: Every week, Breaking Bronx features a health-related story, event or tidbit as part of an online expansion of our Be Healthy! column.

Last week, Montefiore Medical Center hosted its first annual Sickle Cell Awareness Day to educate the Bronx community about this inherited disease that affects close to 1,000 Bronxites.

Taking place in a sunny courtyard outside the medical center, sickle cell specialists from Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine were on hand to discuss managing sickle cell disease (SCD) and provide free oxygen saturation tests.

Also present was Bronx native Eddie Gomez, a 20-year-old Honduran-American boxer who is undefeated as a professional fighter. He said he had come to spread awareness.

“I am here to support a close friend of mine, Anthony, who has SCD,” Gomez said. “I have been working on this cause for the past two years and my goal is for everyone to know what SCD is.”

For many present, it marked the first time they had heard of the disease. “SCD is not as popularized as other diseases, so it is often not identified properly or even treated,” explained Monica Spencer, a nurse practitioner at Montefiore.

“As the government focuses more and more on cancer awareness, SCD is losing attention, but it is still a very significant problem, especially in the Bronx.” said Mural Janakiram, a doctor at Montefiore.

One of the reasons why SCD awareness should be important to Bronx residents is because the disease affects one out of every 500 Black or African Americans and one out of every 36,000 Hispanic Americans. According to the latest census data, 43 percent of Bronxites identify as being Black.

Although it may not garner much attention, SCD is no laughing matter. Sickle cells can get stuck in small blood vessels and block the flow of blood and oxygen to organs in the body. These blockages cause repeated episodes of severe pain, organ damage, serious infections, or even strokes.

To date, the only cure for SCD is a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, which is extremely risky and can have serious side effects, including death.

CAP: Bronx-born Eddie Gomez, Golden Gloves winner and rising star in the boxing world, appeared at Montefiore Medical Center’s Sickle Cell Awareness Day June 19 to help create more awareness about sickle cell disease, an inherited disorder that affects an estimated 1,000 borough residents. Pictured at the lectern is Gomez with Dr. Henny Billett (at his right), chief of hematology at Montefiore, whose team treats adults with sickle cell disease. Photo courtesy Montefiore