With the help of great partners, we carry out 6,240 free leg ulcer treatments annually at Sickle Cell Foundation. More people need this intervention, and your donations can make it possible.

Leg ulcers are one of the debilitating complications of sickle cell disorder, often leading to stigmatization due to protracted wounds which do not heal on time. Many of them have been found to exhibit suicidal tendencies. Leg ulcers are always situated near the prominent bones on the inside and the outside of the ankle. Usually, only one ankle is affected, but occasionally both ankles are affected at the same time. The ulcers start without any obvious cause. Some patients report an earlier injury or blister, but this may simply be a coincidence or just the first event in someone who would develop a leg ulcer in any case.

The three major challenges in leg ulcer management in patients with SCD are the prolonged course to recovery, the high recurrence rate of healed or grafted ulcers, and the high cost of management. Leg ulcer management is very expensive as these patients have to be treated daily or at least three times a week for a prolonged period (usually between three months to ten months and above).