The Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia (SCFG) opened the Sickle Cell Sanctuary, the nation’s first holistic care center for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) in June in Atlanta.

The Sanctuary intends to redefine wellness for SCD patients through a comprehensive approach that complements traditional treatments. Within a spa-like setting, the center provides nutritional counseling, stress management techniques, physical therapy, massage therapy, support groups and educational workshops. Additionally, patients have access to acupuncture, herbal treatments, hematology and oncology services, IV hydration and infusions, psychotherapy, reflexology, traditional medical care and yoga.

“This is a dream come true,” says SCFG Executive Director Tabatha McGee, and she means it literally. After getting holistic help for her own medical setback several years ago, McGee experienced a reoccurring dream, and her vision for the Sanctuary was born. “We have always wanted to do more for our clients. Too often, those with sickle cell disease, while in the midst of a pain crisis, have to wait hours to receive something as basic as IV hydration and infusion. We offer those services and much more.”

Dr. Shalomim Halahawi, the Sanctuary’s medical director, emphasizes the importance of holistic care, stating, “The holistic medicine approach should be considered primary care, especially concerning preventative care. Compared to Western medicine, modern medicine is the child. Holistic medicine is the mother and the father.”