Frederick, 48, who was diagnosed with sickle cell at birth, has launched the Run to Cure Sickle Cell campaign to increase awareness about the disease that disproportionately afflicts Blacks and African-Americans and to raise funds for the Howard University Sickle Cell Center to help in the search for a cure.
He has pledged to run one 5K race per month in 2019. Next up is the LA Big 5K in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium on March 23. He has run in 5K races in Orlando, Fla., in January and Landover, Md., at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 23.
Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick
“I felt good,’’ Frederick says, describing his most recent 5K. “I walked more than I wanted to do, but it’s hard to run that many laps on an oval track. I was floored by the level of support and the number of people there. That really bolstered my spirits big time.’
Frederick says that he appreciates the support that he’s received since announcing this campaign to bring awareness to sickle cell disease and the work of the Howard University Sickle Cell Center.
“People have been donating and it helps bring attention to the need for additional research in this area. People have reached out to me on social media and via email to congratulate me and cheer me on,’’ he says. “I’ve heard from students who have applied to the university who are living with sickle cell. The biggest surprise has been with my friends. I don’t really talk much about my health in my personal life and this has been a way for me to open up to them about the challenges that sickle cell poses and how I deal with it.’’
