Two-Time NBA All-Star & Los Angeles Lakers' Carlos Boozer Scores Big for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

NBA standout partnering with preeminent, pediatric treatment and research facility. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) November 11, 2014 - Los Angeles Lakers' 12 year veteran Carlos Boozer announced that he is teaming up with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital© to support the lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children. Boozer is committing his resources, time and celebrity to increase funding and awareness for St. Jude Sickle Cell program.

This cause is dear to Boozer's heart as his eldest son Carmani was born with sickle cell anemia. Fortunately, Carmani received a bone marrow transplant from his younger brother that saved his life. St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases, such as sickle cell. Thanks to the support of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food.

"Like any other parent, I'll do whatever it takes to save my children's lives," says Boozer. "Fortunately, I was blessed with the financial resources to cover the costs, but for a lot of families, that's just not an option. Supporting St. Jude is a good fit for me because they allow families to have peace of mind so they can focus on getting their child 100 percent healthy."

Sickle cell is an inherited blood disorder that occurs most commonly in African-Americans, with about 1 in 500 African-Americans being born with the disease. The disorder causes the body to make sickle-shaped red blood cells, which tend to block blood flow, causing pain and organ damage, while raising the risk of infection. St. Jude has one of the largest sickle cell programs in the country with more than 800 patients and is the only sickle cell research program in the nation focused solely on children. St. Jude was the first institution to cure sickle cell disease with a bone marrow transplant in the 1980s. St. Jude also led a national study in 2011 showing that a drug used to treat adult sickle cell patients is safe and effective for use in infants and toddlers.

For more information on joining Carlos's support of St. Jude visit http://www.StJude.org/Boozer.

About Carlos Boozer
The 12-year NBA veteran and two-time NBA All-Star, has established himself as one of the game's best post players. As a member of Team USA, Carlos won an Olympic Bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and an Olympic Gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Carlos has embraced community involvement throughout his time in the league and is the proud father of three boys. The Duke University alum has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls and currently a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

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