How can I help FIGHT Sickle Cell this month?

Because of the lack of visibility Sickle Cell has it can be difficult to find ways to fight this cause depending on what part of the country you are in.

I spent six years in New Orleans and for the first few years I had a hard time tracking down the local Sickle Cell community until I realized there wasn’t one. Finally I decided to take matters in to my own hands and that’s when BLACKout! was born. Through the process of planning BLACKout! I came across a number of carriers & supporters who had ambitions of coming together to organize and fight the good fight.

During BLACKout! several people asked how they could help the Sickle Cell community locally in New Orleans and I often came up empty handed, other than telling them to first educate themselves about the illness & then educate others. I believe bringing awareness to this disease has to be the number one focus. Visibility of an illness makes all the difference.

One suggestion I never thought to give people was donating blood and I wish I had! Blood supply is crucial for carriers of Sickle Cell. Many patients receive regular weekly transfusions, some multiple times/week and blood is always in need!

Donating blood absolutely saves lives. I had an emergency total blood exchange once when I was a kid during one of my three near-death experiences and it helped saved my life. I obviously didn’t realize the importance then but looking back, what if there was a shortage of my blood type? How different would my situation have been? Doctors told my parents that blood exchange is what turned my situation around and I’m forever grateful to the donors who gave that blood.

I’m not great at being p.c. and I have a hard time keeping up with the latest preferred terminology so I’m going to state it plainly: while we need everyone’s blood and every blood type there is an extra special need for blood from Black donors. That’s just the bottomline. I would love to break it down & tell you why race/background/ethnicity matters but there’s a reason I changed my mind early on about being a doctor. Science & I have been beefing since 10th grade.

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness month so if you want to FIGHT Sickle Cell with us, please donate blood if you’re eligible. Not sure if you’re eligible? Well looka here: a handy little checklist from our friends at Blood Centers of the Pacific to find out if you are eligible to donate blood!

But wait! There’s more! If you are anywhere near the Bay Area on September 22 we have the perfect opportunity for you. The H.U.B.R.I.S. Tour (TheSeKondElement + Bettis + BassMonsterTiff) will be headling Blood Centers of the Pacific’s annual 102 Heroes Blood Drive this year! So that’s free entertainment, a chance to win prizes, & most importantly the opportunity to help FIGHT Sickle Cell! If you tell me you can beat that then you & I need to have a sit-down! ;O)

Want some more facts about blood donation? I figured you might. So here ya go!

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month! FIGHT with us!

HUBRIS – Type I Diabetes

This photo came across my (T2E) Tumblr dashboard today and said everything we’re trying to say with The HUBRIS Tour. This is why we need your help to make this tour happen!

Head to rally.org/thehubristour today to donate at least 1 gallon of gas for the tour!

We need YOU! & we Thank you!

The HUBRIS Tour has a new Home!

TheHUBRISTour.com | Why HUBRIS?

TheHUBRISTour.com | Bio

TheHUBRISTour.com | Music Page

TheHUBRISTour.com | Video Page

T2E x SF Pride!

I received my official email confirmation today of my invitation to perform at the  42nd annual San Francisco Pride Celebration & Parade!

Can’t think up an adequate adjective right now for how I’m feeling about this opportunity.

SF Pride has so much history and is a world leader in the Pride movement and to have the opportunity to perform on the main stage is an honor; the same stage that artists like Lady Gaga & one of my favorites, Solange Knowles have graced!

Of course my drummer, Bettis & my favorite bass player, BassMonster Tiff will be sharing the stage. There’s no way I’d not share this opportunity with them! We are also in the process of planning a short summer tour that will lead up to the big day! So stay tuned for details!

The theme is “Global Equality” and the event will be held over the weekend of June 23 and 24, 2012. With over 200 parade contingents, 300 exhibitors, and more than twenty community-run stages and venues, the San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade is the largest gathering of LGBT people and allies in the nation.

The two-day celebration takes place in Civic Center Plaza in downtown San Francisco the last full weekend of June each year. The Parade, which takes place the Sunday morning of the event, kicks off from Beale Street along Market and ends at Market and 8th St. in the heart of downtown San Francisco.

Special thanks to Benjamin Pursley for suggesting I submit my press kit in the first place. I never would’ve done it without his encouragement, and even after I did I didn’t think I’d make the cut! I owe you one, Ben! ;O)

-T2E