LEXINGTON, Ky. — At 16, Precious Clark maintains the full schedule of a typical high school junior: choir practice, voice lessons, theater performances and time with friends. What makes her story remarkable is that she manages this busy life while living with sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that affects about 100,000 Americans.

Clark was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at age 3 after experiencing a pain crisis that also triggered a stroke, requiring weeks of hospitalization at what is now Golisano Children's at UK. Since then, she has received monthly treatment at the DanceBlue Sickle Cell Clinic, where she undergoes apheresis — a procedure that removes sickle-shaped blood cells and replaces them with healthy donor cells.

Sickle cell anemia is a hemoglobin-related blood disorder in which red blood cells become rigid and sickle-shaped, blocking blood flow and causing pain crises that can last days or weeks. Approximately 1 in 365 Black or African American babies in the United States is born with the disease.

Thanks to advancements in medical technology, Clark's monthly apheresis treatment now takes about four hours, down from the better part of a day years ago. The efficiency allows her to miss minimal school time. "When I have to go an extra week without the apheresis, there is a slight drop in my energy," Clark said, noting that the treatment keeps her energized enough to maintain her full schedule.

During her 13 years as a patient, Clark has had more than 150 clinic visits, during which she has developed close relationships with the clinic staff. Andrea Haggard, a nurse practitioner in the DanceBlue Clinic, has become more than a provider — she's a friend. The two have supported each other outside the clinical setting, with Haggard attending Clark's school theater productions and Clark serving as a counselor at drama camp run by Haggard's daughter.

The clinic serves approximately 80 pediatric patients with sickle cell disease, providing comprehensive care including genetic counseling, medication management and monitoring for complications. The clinic team includes pediatric hematologists, nurses, pharmacists and social workers working together to provide specialized care.

Clark is looking ahead to life after high school, with interest in fashion design or costume design for theater. Regardless of where her future takes her, she knows the DanceBlue Clinic remains a constant. "Everyone is so welcoming to me," Clark said. "They treat me like family. Everyone is nice and loving and caring."