By Waldron, Clarence
Versatile actor Larenz Tate says he has played a lot of roles in his long career, but nothing compares to what he’s doing right now. He is continuing in role as national spokesman for sickle cell disease awareness in the “Be Sickle Smart: Ask About Iron” campaign,
“As an actor, I believe that my greatest roles are ones that inspire and uplift,” he explains. “I am therefore wholly committed to my latest role in the “Be Sickle Smart: Ask About Iron” campaign. It is a role that can inspire people to take action and control over their health and their lives.”
Tate and his brothers, screenwriter Larron and actor Lahmard, recently returned to their hometown of Chicago to kick off the nationwide sickle cell awareness tour.
A highlight of the “Be Sickle Smart” is a gospel music contest designed to encourage patients with gospel songs inspired by their endurance.
People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that sometimes become sickle (crescent)-shaped and have difficulty passing through small blood vessels. This causes extreme pain, can damage tissues and organs and may lead to stroke if the blockage occurs in the brain.
Larenz Tate points out that some sickle cell disease patients require regular blood transfusions. While transfusions give back healthy red cells, they also contain additional iron. His campaign teaches people that iron overload, too much iron, is a potentially fatal complication of regular blood transfusions.
The brothers want to raise the disease’s profile. “It affects a lot of African-Americans but it doesn’t get the kind of attention that cancer gets or lupus gets,” says Tate.
-Clarence Waldron
Larenz Tate and his brothers, (l-r) Lahmard and Larron, urge Blacks to learn more about the disease. For more information visitwww.AskLarenzAboutlron.com
Copyright Johnson Publishing Company Oct 1, 2007
(c) 2007 Jet. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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