Phelps Hospital held an inaugural World Sickle Cell Day event on Wednesday to raise awareness about the disease.

The awareness day is typically observed around the world on June 19. However, officials from the hospital said they held the event early to create understanding about the serious blood disease that impacts so many people, especially those of African and Hispanic descent.

Dr. Cheryl Mensah, a renowned hematologist at the hospital, led the event. She's new to Northwell Health and said she introduced a cutting-edge treatment called crizanlizumab to the hospital system.

"It's given intravenously, through an IV infusion, once a month to patients. That was not here before I came," Dr. Mensah said. "So, I worked with the pharmacy, I worked with different stakeholders within Northwell, and we brought the medication to Phelps Memorial Hospital."

Several of Mensah’s patients attended the event and thanked her for shining a light on what Sickle Cell Warriors experience.