You would think that a 12-year-old who's missing parts of two limbs would be afraid to participate in a martial arts class, let alone join her classmates on stage at The Bushnell.
    And you would probably expect a 10-year-old who's just undergone a blood transfusion to sit out his African percussion class the next day.
    Or you might think it perfectly reasonable for a dance instructor to set up a special class for students prone to pain, fatigue and infections.
    But thanks to a special arts program for kids with sickle cell disease, assumptions like these are being blown away every Wednesday and Saturday at the Artists Collective in Hartford.
    Now entering its third year, this collaborative effort with the Sickle Cell Service at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center proves that having this lifelong disease doesn't mean missing out on activities that should be a normal part of growing up.
    It doesn't mean being afraid to try ... or succumbing to pain and fatigue ... or limiting your horizons.
    Indeed, judging from the experiences of those who have participated, activities once thought to worsen the symptoms actually have a therapeutic effect. But the benefits don't stop there.
    The creative movement class teaches 2-to 5-year-olds balance and coordination. Martial arts shows 5-to 18-year-olds how to breathe, meditate and concentrate. The African rhythm class sharpens hand/eye coordination. And every class imparts a strong sense of self-esteem in kids who once had very little.

   As Valencia Dixson puts it, "Martial arts shows me that I can do everything like other people and I don't have any limitations."  She proved that assertion to dance instructor, Cheryl Smith, her first night at class.
    "I'll never forget when Valencia arrived with her tap shoes on," Ms. Smith recalls.  "I showed her one step and she gave it right back to me."
    Welling up with tears, Ms. Smith asked Valencia if she could tell the class that she lost part of an arm and leg due to infection.  The youngster agreed, but made it clear she wanted no special treatment after that.
    Valencia got her wish - one that she shares with the rest of the sickle cell students who, while blending in with their peers, nevertheless remain under the watchful eye of Dr. Lee Pachter, director of the Sickle Cell Service at Saint Francis.
    "This program has been a godsend," he says. "The kids are in better physical and emotional health than other sickle cell patients. The classes empower them to take control of their illness and their lives."
    Though survival rates have vastly improved, there's still no cure for sickle cell disease. But don't tell that to the kids at the Artists Collective. Because they've kicked the stuffing out of their worst enemy yet: fear.

Donations to the Sickle Cell Program can be made to the Saint Francis Foundation / Sickle Cell Program, 114 Woodland St., Hartford CT 06105. For additional information, please call the foundation at 860-714-4900.

Please direct your comments to Dr. David D'Eramo, President and Chief Executive Officer, Saint Francis Care.