Bobbi Engram Foundation
Teach, Care, Cure
The Bobbi Engram Foundation
The Bobbi Engram Foundation (BEF) is a private non-profit organization dedicated to serving individuals suffering with Sickle Cell Disease. The BEF strives to provide hope, courage and opportunities to individuals affected by Sickle Cell Disease.
The Bobby Engram Foundation (BEF) was founded in 2008 and received its 501(C)(3) status the same year. While suffering with Sickle Cell complications as a child and young adult Bobbi Engram (daughter) developed a strong desire to help other families and people, especially children, afflicted with Sickle Cell Disease. That desire led her parents, Bobby and Deanna to create the BEF, which is focused on raising awareness and seeking a cure for the disease.
The foundation was renamed the Bobbi Engram Sickle Cell Foundation in August 2018 in honor of Bobbi Engram who passed away from Sickle Cell Complications at the age of 20 on August 25, 2018.
Focus
Teach: quantify, create, increase and raise awareness within the healthcare provider community as well as the community at large, link organizations etc.
Care: Create national registry that hospitals can access to ensure proper care with onset of an event. Educate caregivers via creation of universal care protocol, educate patients/families with self-care & awareness…
Cure: ideas: identify, track and report on all current research and findings. Leverage opportunities for clinical trials, new treatments and new studies…Discover a way to eliminate duplication of effort by becoming a source for linking the latest information, progress and emerging therapies…
Community
BESCF has worked with a number of Sickle Cell organizations and health care providers advocating for sickle cell patients and their families.
The Foundation has organized and supported annual walks to raise awareness for Sickle Cell Supporting trait testing to let people know if they carry the Sickle Cell trait.
BESCF participates in genetic counseling with the Children’s Hospital in Seattle with the Sickle Cell Task Force of Seattle; hosted celebrity charity softball games to help support the efforts of people in the community that were already working to raise awareness and care for children who were/are suffering from Sickle Cell Disease.
Did you know that 1 in every 400 African American children born today will suffer from Sickle Cell Disease?
Participated in educational seminars to teach people in the Pittsburgh area about Sickle Cell; provide annual support to the four day Sickle Cell Camp for youth and their siblings in the Seattle area.