{"id":17272,"date":"2025-09-25T17:24:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T17:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=17272"},"modified":"2025-09-25T17:24:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T17:24:07","slug":"heal-together-5k-celebrating-warriors-families-and-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/25\/heal-together-5k-celebrating-warriors-families-and-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Heal Together 5K: Celebrating Warriors, Families, and Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Carla Thomas
\nThe Truth Reporter<\/p>\n

On Saturday, September 20th, Ottawa Park was filled with energy, music and unity as the community gathered for the Heal Together Race for Sickle Cell 5K. The event featured vendors, cheer performances from Scott High School and Rise and Shine Academy and a moving rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing performed by The Voices at BGSU.
\nAttendees enjoyed free food and refreshments, face painting, photo opportunities and dancing throughout the day, with DJ Syck Cecil keeping the energy high. Dr. Ashley Benson and Jim Snodgrass emceed the day, while guest speakers included Annie J. Ross Womack of the Ohio Sickle Cell and Health Association, Tanya Jenkins, International Director of St. Jude, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., young sickle cell warrior Emery Scott, and city council candidates Blair Johnson and Rob Pasker.
\nProclamations were presented by state Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson and Ohio Representative District 41 Erica White, honoring warriors, their families and posthumously recognizing those who have \u201cgained their wings.\u201d The BRB Running Group led the warm-up, ensuring the race began with strength and purpose.<\/p>\n

For founder La\u2019Shardae Scott, DSW, MSW, CHES, CHW, president and CEO of the Scott Center for Observation, Treatment, and Transition (S.C.O.T.T.), the fight against sickle cell disease is deeply personal. Alongside her husband Eric Scott, she has turned their family\u2019s journey with sickle cell into a mission of advocacy and support.
\nA Journey Born of Necessity
\nScott\u2019s advocacy began in her own home. \u201cI\u2019m a Detroit native. I moved here in 2014. My first son Emory was diagnosed with sickle cell in 2015, and Evan was diagnosed in 2016. There weren\u2019t a lot of resources, so I went back to Detroit, educated myself and brought all of that back to Toledo.\u201d
\nWhat began as a mother\u2019s search for answers turned into a mission that has impacted thousands. \u201cIt all started with me advocating for my kids. I didn\u2019t intend on it, but God led me. I\u2019m just being obedient and trying to make sure people feel supported and less stressed.\u201d
\nFor La\u2019Shardae Scott, this wasn\u2019t just about her own family. Over time, she became a guide for thousands of others, helping families navigate the complex healthcare system.
\nHer children, Emory and Evan, are her daily reminders of why this work matters. Emory, now 10, even took the microphone and spoke at the event. \u201cHe told me he needed to let young warriors know that they need to use their voices,\u201d she shared proudly.
\nFor Scott, the Heal Together 5K is not just about raising money, it\u2019s about visibility. \u201cThere\u2019s already mistrust in the healthcare system, especially in Black and Brown communities. This race is about saying to patients and families: you are seen, you are heard, and you are valued.\u201d
\nWhat began in her living room soon became the foundation for something much larger.
\nShaping a Legacy<\/p>\n

\"\"The S.C.O.T.T. Center has grown into a hub for support, training and advocacy. From providing resources to partnering with organizations like the Ohio Sickle Cell and Health Association and the Kidney Foundation of Northwest Ohio, the mission is clear: no family should feel alone.
\nThrough programs like the Champion initiative\u2014where volunteers sit with children in the hospital so parents can work\u2014families receive practical, compassionate support. \u201cI don\u2019t have all the answers,\u201d she admitted. \u201cBut I am trying to mitigate as many barriers as I can.\u201d
\nHer personal experiences as a mother have shaped much of the Center\u2019s approach. She and her husband even wrote a children\u2019s book to help their then-four-year-old understand why his brother was in and out of the hospital\u2014a tool that has since helped many other families explain the disease to young children.
\n\u201cOur experiences shape who we are. God has used me to be a blessing to other families,\u201d Scott said. \u201cIf I can give them resources and hope, that makes me happy.\u201d
\nFamily First, Community Always
\nHer household reflects both the challenges and the resilience of life with sickle cell. Of her four sons, two live with the disease, one carries sickle cell trait, and another carries alpha thalassemia. Their diagnoses came through unexpected routes, including routine sports physicals.
\n\u201cI just know it\u2019s divine,\u201d she reflected. \u201cThat\u2019s why I tell people, get tested. Don\u2019t guess or wonder. If you were born in Ohio before 1990, you weren\u2019t tested for sickle cell at birth. Ask your doctor to run a test.\u201d
\nHer message is urgent yet hopeful: \u201cWe need empathy, not sympathy. Just because they look well doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t fighting a battle on the inside. Every crisis is a fight for their life.\u201d
\nAs her children grew and her advocacy expanded, so too did her reach beyond Toledo.<\/p>\n

A Voice Beyond Toledo
\nLa\u2019Shardae Scott\u2019s work now reaches far beyond her city. She provides trainings for community health workers, contributes to research that has been published in national journals, and has earned recognition such as the Tower Award for community health workers.
\n\u201cWe recently did a study on food deserts and how lack of nutrition in<\/p>\n

creases hospitalizations in sickle cell patients,\u201d Scott explained. \u201cIf they\u2019re not getting the right nutrition, more than likely they\u2019re going to have more hospitalizations because their bodies aren\u2019t getting the nutrients they need to function and heal.\u201d
\nThe study highlights how access to healthy food is not just a lifestyle issue, it\u2019s a critical factor in health outcomes for those with chronic illnesses like sickle cell.
\n\u201cWherever I\u2019m called to serve, I show up. But no matter what, I want patients and families at the center of every decision.
\nBuilding Warriors
\nThrough it all, Scott returns to one central belief: those living with sickle cell are warriors.
\n\u201cWe call them sickle cell warriors. I tell my sons, you are superheroes. Your blood is different, but you\u2019re still capable of being whoever you want to be. My son has wanted to be a civil engineer since he was six. Why not? Who\u2019s to say he can\u2019t?\u201d
\nHer philosophy extends to every child she meets. \u201cWe can\u2019t put them in a bubble. That\u2019s not reality. Everything they say my kids can\u2019t do\u2014they do it. I don\u2019t take their power by telling them no. They live, they play sports, they thrive.\u201d
\nLooking Ahead
\nThis year\u2019s race surpassed its goals, with more than 200 participants and $20,000 raised. Next year, the S.C.O.T.T. Center will launch scholarships for warriors, siblings, and parents pursuing higher education or trade school.
\n\u201cWe want to invest in their futures,\u201d Scott explained. Applications will open in January 2026, with scholarships awarded publicly at the next walk.
\nAnd while the programs, collaborations, and initiatives are important, La\u2019Shardae Scott\u2019s mission remains simple: \u201cThis is bigger than us. I just want families to feel celebrated, supported and empowered.\u201d
\n\u201cThe event would not have been possible without the support of a host of generous sponsors and dedicated community partners whose contributions helped make the day both meaningful and memorable.\u201d
\nHow to Support<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s giving your time, your voice, or a donation, there are many ways to stand with families affected by sickle cell. You can sign up to be a Champion, volunteer, or donate at scottcenteroh.org\/donate.
\nConnect with the SCOTT Center
\nScott Center for Observation, Treatment, and Transition
\n3100 W. Central Ave. Suite 202
\nToledo, OH 43606
\nLa\u2019Shardae Scott, DSW, MSW, CHES, CHW
\nPresident and Chief Executive Officer
\n lscott@scottcenteroh.org
\n (419) 301-4188 (Office)
\n (419) 452-8016 (Fax)
\nWebsite: scottcenteroh.org<\/p>\n