RISE UP CASE STUDY
Sickle cell anemia impacts over 100,000 people in the US—the majority are people of color, predominantly Black African Americans. Sickle Cell patients face harrowing challenges: a shortened lifespan, frequent excruciating pain crises, organ damage, bone loss, and, to add insult to injury, long-standing systemic racism, healthcare disparities, and ER discrimination. This population is not only underrepresented in conversations about their care; historically, they have been completely left out. From this, a grassroots Sickle Cell Warrior movement has risen, demanding change.  

SOLUTION:
The pharma “Client” came to FCB Health needing to raise awareness about an upcoming clinical trial for their promising new sickle cell therapy. I led the end-to-end digital execution of a patient education and enrollment website that empowered individuals with Sickle Cell Disease to learn about the clinical trial, evaluate participation, and seamlessly connect with the pharma “client” to begin enrollment. To successfully enroll enough patients, we needed to build trust amongst a rightfully skeptical and marginalized Warrior community.  

KEY LEARNINGS:
RISE UP proved that the most effective way to engage historically underserved communities is to share power. By inviting Sickle Cell Warriors to help create the campaign, the client and FCB Health built trust, increased relevance, and transformed clinical trial recruitment into a community-led movement. The Warriors' stories, advocacy, and creative contributions drove significant engagement, reached millions of people, increased website traffic, and supported recruitment for a trial that required 267 participants. The campaign demonstrated that authentic patient partnership, cultural relevance, and lived experience are not just best practices—they are essential ingredients for successful healthcare engagement and enrollment.