EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month.

Sickle cell disease is inherited and causes red blood cells to become abnormally shaped and leads to serious health problems. It predominately affects African Americans.

Approximately 1 in 13 African Americans carries the sickle cell trait, and around 1 in 365 children is born with the disease.

JD Slajchert is a former college athlete, author, speaker and unlikely champion for raising awareness for sickle cell disease. He will never personally face the disease, but it impacted someone he cared about very much: a basketball fan who became family.

The journey of their bond was a painful but beautiful one.

Slajchert joined “Your Morning” to share more.