Youth Support
The Mississippi Sickle Cell Foundation
provides two college scholarships for students living with sickle cell disease.
provides two college scholarships for students living with sickle cell disease.
The Iyer-Smith Scholarship is named after two great doctors, Dr. Rathi Iyer and Dr. Mary Gail Smith, who cared for our children at Blair E. Batson for a combined 60 plus years.
Click Here for the Application |
The Markeda Mims Scholarship is in honor of Markeda Mims of Vicksburg, MS. Markeda was a passionate sickle cell warrior that did not let her illness impede her plans of getting a college education. She passed away from complications due to sickle cell disease.
Click here for the Application |
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Big Brother/Big Sister Mentoring Program for Pre-Teens/Teenagers Living with Sickle Cell Disease:
Does your pre-teen/teenager need a role model to look up to? Someone who has walked a similar road as them to talk to? Someone to seek advice from about sickle cell disease as they grow older? Someone to empower your teen? The Mississippi Sickle Cell Foundation Patient and Parent Support Group and Children’s Cancer Clinic are collaborating to create a mentoring program for patients aged 9-16 with Sickle Cell Disease. Patients will be paired with an older, carefully screened mentor (aged 19-25) who is also living with SCD. Mentors will be expected to provide social and emotional support to their mentees on a monthly basis, or more if needed. Support can be in the form of telecommunication, text messaging, e-mailing, social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Studies have shown that mentoring programs can increase likelihood of graduation and lower dropout rates in school, enhance self-esteem and self-confidence, improve behavior, and teach youth how to maintain strong relationships. Mentors will also have the benefits of increased self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment! If you are interested in your child being a mentee or applying to be a mentor, please email us at mail@mssicklecellfoundation.org or call 601-366-5874. |
