September 2025 – La Rabida is one of the largest sickle cell clinics in Illinois. Dr. Radhika Peddinti, Clinical Director of the Sickle Cell program, and her team serve more than 400 patients at La Rabida. Early diagnosis and preventing complications are essential to the well-being of our patients. That’s why La Rabida’s Sickle Cell program works with the Illinois Department of Public Health to connect with families whose children are diagnosed through the newborn screening process.
Our expertise in pediatric sickle cell care brought comfort, clarity, and ultimately a cure to a family who was overwhelmed with questions and concerns.
From six weeks to six years old, Tyrone III embodied the spirit of resilience. His journey at La Rabida renewed his families hope and reinforced the mission that drives our team every day.
“Unlike normal red blood cells that are round, donut-shaped, and ‘squishy’, sickle cells are crescent shaped and ‘stiff,’” said Tanisha Jones, APN, C-FNP, Sickle Cell Advance Practice Nurse. “Those physical changes can cause the cells to clump together, impacting blood flow leading to severe pain.”
Tyrone’s parents, Valerie and Tyrone Jr., learned to sleep with one eye open, not just because they have a lively household with kids. They adjusted more so out of necessity. They couldn’t rest anticipating another flare up, making it hard to envision their son’s life without pain.
“We started seeing the La Rabida Sickle Cell team, and we learned so much from them. They were very supportive, and informative,” said Valerie. “At first it was scary, we didn’t know what to expect, but we wanted our little man to have a shot.”
Educating our families is a vital part of the comprehensive holistic care we provide. “Unfortunately, there is no universal cure for the disease,” said Katrina Wadlington, BSN-RN, Sickle Cell CPNE, Nurse Care Manager. “That’s why we are focused on what works for our patients, so we can create a customized care plan for our families.”
La Rabida’s sickle cell team explained all the options for the family, including HLA testing to identify potential sibling donors. Results came back showing Tyrone’s sister, Kynedi, was a match.
Kynedi, only 8-years-old asked her parents, without hesitation, “Is it time for me to save my brother? I want to save my brother!”
Tyrone III and Kynedi underwent the bone marrow transplant procedure in 2022. The transplant proved to be a success, and he was cured of sickle cell disease.
“It feels great to see this child, who came to us as a baby and to see him growing up and thriving at school, and doing it all without sickle cell disease,” said Jones. “It puts the work we do for our patients everyday into perspective.”
Our sickle cell team helped Tyrone’s family take a complex situation and make it feel so simple. Tyrone and his family now can look back at the obstacles as a distant memory of what they’ve overcome together.
“We were just existing, trying to get through the days,” said Tyrone Jr. “We realized how blessed we are to be taken care of at a hospital, where we can see the future and feel happiness. We are grateful Tyrone’s care team understand us.”
