Uriel E. OwensSickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest Donate
Seal of the Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest

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Support, education and advocacy for families
across greater Kansas City since 1981.Support, education and advocacy for warriors and families in Kansas City since 1981.

Find support Who we are

Break the Sickle Cycle!

Our mission is to provide information and awareness about sickle cell disease, to advocate for the needs of persons with sickle cell, and to support research to find a cure.

The Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest, Kansas City, Kansas
Black and white archival portrait shown with Uriel E. Owens on the association's history page
Uriel E. Owens

Who we are

An association named for a Kansas City, Kansas civic leader who lived with sickle cell anemia, and founded by the people who loved him. Step through the story.

A civic leader

A well-known civic leader in Kansas City, Kansas, Uriel Owens helped to establish the Juniper Gardens Children's Project, and for several years he was Director of the Economic Opportunity Foundation, an anti-poverty organization. He did all of this while suffering greatly from sickle cell anemia.

A national delegate

An active member of the Democratic Party, he was a delegate to the Democratic Convention in Miami, Florida in 1972.

October 16, 1980

Owens had often expressed the need for an organization that could assist sickle cell patients and their families. After his death, his family members and close friends decided to establish one in his honor.

January 19, 1981

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of the Midwest was established to provide assistance to persons with sickle cell disease and to educate the community about the disease.

Still serving Kansas City

The association is fully run by its board, led by President Jemela Williams, and continues to provide assistance, education and advocacy for the sickle cell community.

Tap a point, drag along the line, or use the arrow keys.

Our history and board What we do today

How we help Kansas City families

Services for individuals and families living with sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait, plus partnerships that spread education and awareness.

All services and resources

A full life, with Sickle Cell

Sickle cell is part of a person's story, not the whole of it. With the right care, a team you trust and a community behind you, people living with sickle cell go to school, build careers, raise families and celebrate the big days.

That is what the association works toward for every family it serves: the support to keep living fully.

See how we help
A smiling young family in a sunny park, the father holding a toddlerA smiling young man with a backpack on a college campusA smiling chef in whites preparing a salad in a restaurant kitchenTwo young women in sunglasses laughing together outdoorsAn older man and a younger man sharing a laugh outsideA family of four lying on the grass, smiling at the camera

Stock photos, shown for illustration. They are not association members.

Our community

Walks, family days, workshops and cookouts. Every photo here is from the association's own events.

An association volunteer at an information table with pamphlets and a UE Owens Sickle Cell signPeople in red shirts dancing outdoors under a red tentTwo guests smiling together at an evening eventThree women in red and black at an outdoor walk with red balloonsTwo guests beside a projected slide for the Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the MidwestTwo guests in blue outfits smiling together at an association eventA smiling couple in bright clothes at an outdoor walkTwo children in superhero masks, one holding up a drawingA woman speaking at a podium during an association eventFun walk medals reading Strolling for Sickle Cell, Break the Sickle Cycle, on red and white ribbonsThree women in red association shirts laughing together outsideTwo walkers in red association shirts and bucket hats smiling
Three children in association walk shirts sitting together outdoorsA toddler in red holding a red balloon on a park pathThree smiling women at an indoor association event decorated with gold balloonsA smiling woman in a red association shirt waving in a crowd of walkersPeople seated at tables listening to two speakers in a meeting roomA group in red association shirts posing together with a child in a strollerA man in a white bucket hat laughing with his arm raised at an outdoor event
Three women taking a smiling selfie at a conferenceTwo women standing together in a clinic lobbyRed balloons over a sign for the 7th Annual 5K Fun Walk, Strolling for Sickle CellA smiling young man in a red jacket at an indoor association eventA smiling boy holding a frame that reads I Am A WarriorWalkers in red shirts passing red balloons on a park pathA speaker presenting to a seated audience in front of an association slide
A child holding up a colorful drawing at an activity tableA volunteer in an apron grilling at a park cookout

Next up

A Place to Just Be: Unfiltered Talk and Truth

Thursday, October 29 · Online on Zoom · Multiple dates

A weekly support session from UEO in partnership with Leebo's Sickle Cell Support Group, full of helpful tips. Sickle cell can feel isolating. You are not alone.

RSVP for this session
All events

Led by our board

The association is fully run by its board members, led by President Jemela Williams. They are healthcare and community professionals who live with sickle cell disease, are personally touched by it, or simply want to help.

  • Portrait of Jemela Williams
    Jemela WilliamsPresident
  • Portrait of Maurice Riddle
    Maurice RiddleVice President
  • Portrait of Donna McCurry, ARNP
    Donna McCurry, ARNPTreasurer
  • Portrait of Dr. Sharif Tusuubira
    Dr. Sharif TusuubiraSecretary
  • Portrait of Tiffany Harper
    Tiffany HarperMember
  • Portrait of James Birch, Jr. MD
    James Birch, Jr. MDMember
  • Portrait of Bernice Thomas
    Bernice ThomasMember
  • Portrait of Toriana Woodruff
    Toriana WoodruffMember

Get involved

All donations go to providing services and resources to the local sickle cell disease community in Kansas City. There are other ways to help, too.

DonateOne-time or recurring

Understanding sickle cell

Three hands-on explainers live on our About Sickle Cell page, right beside the facts they explain.

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