Diagnosed with sickle cell disease at birth, Bria Blount experienced relatively mild symptoms throughout childhood. As she entered early adulthood, though, her condition significantly worsened, making it increasingly difficult to manage her disease.

Shortly after graduating high school, Bria moved from North Carolina to California to pursue her dream of studying film. She quickly found her passion for casting and character development, working on over 100 short films and projects with companies like Nickelodeon. She was especially drawn to the psychology behind casting — and the opportunity to deeply understand people and their experiences.

Then, at 19 years old, Bria experienced her first pain crisis. “It was scary,” she recalled. “I was by myself and had no idea what was going on.” The experience left Bria determined to learn more about her condition and to advocate for herself and for others navigating sickle cell disease.

In 2020, as her symptoms worsened and care remained inconsistent, Bria made the decision to return home to North Carolina. “I needed better care, and I needed my family,” she said. In Charlotte, she sought out a team that could provide more holistic treatment, and she found it at Atrium Health.

Under the care of Dr. Michael Kent at Atrium Health Levine Children’s, and in collaboration with a team in Cincinnati, Bria made the life-altering decision to undergo gene therapy. Her own stem cells were collected, genetically modified to produce healthy red blood cells, and then infused back into her body.

The entire process took over a year, including a 28-day hospital stay in , but the results have been transformative. “I used to have pain crises all the time,” Bria said. “I couldn’t imagine going to school or working. Now I haven’t had one in six months. And when they happen, I can usually predict them. I can travel now, go months between appointments, and just live my life.”

It’s that shift — toward a fuller, freer life — that drives patients like Bria to participate in gene therapy, which is now fully offered at Atrium Health in Charlotte.

Now a master’s student in counseling at Capella University, Bria is using her experience to advocate for others with chronic illnesses. She hopes to one day provide mental health services to patients with conditions like sickle cell disease.

“We need more support for the mental side of this disease,” she said. “Sickle cell doesn’t just affect the body—it affects your mind, your relationships, your future. Patients need to feel seen and heard.”

Today, Bria’s care is coordinated between Dr. Kent and Dr. Payal Desai’s team at Atrium Health Levine Cancer. While she still takes Hydroxyurea (an oral chemotherapy medication), her quality of life has vastly improved.

“[At Atrium Health] I have a community. Dr. Kent, Dr. Desai, Jennifer Saunders, and my primary care doctors have been part of a team that truly cares about me. They listen; they respect me; and they’ve supported not just me, but my family. From the start, their goal was to help me live to 100. That meant everything.”

Outside of her studies, Bria enjoys swimming, traveling, hosting friends and family, and spending time with her dog, Chloe. As the youngest of three siblings, she remains close with her family – an ongoing source of love and strength.

Bria is passionate about building awareness and support for the sickle cell community. “This pain is real. It’s not something small. We need more gene therapy options, more education, and more understanding. Not just for the physical side, but for the emotional side, too.”

A story of resilience, healing, and purpose — and Bria is just getting started. To learn more about and support Atrium Health’s comprehensive sickle cell program, which provides a continuum of care from childhood through adulthood, visit AtriumHealthFoundation.org/SickleCell.