New Laws Will Expand Education, Training, Access, and Coordinated Care for Virginians with Sickle Cell
NEWPORT NEWS, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today signed a first-in-the-nation, comprehensive legislative package focused on improving education, training, access, and coordinated care for Virginians with sickle cell and their families.
The Queen Candis Act was created in memory of Candis Gabriella King — a brilliant, vibrant 15-year-old whose passing sparked a unified effort to protect and uplift others battling sickle cell disease. At Sentara Community Care Center in Newport News, the Governor celebrated the life and advocacy of Candis together with her parents — Joshua King and Secretary of the Commonwealth Candi Mundon King — and the entire King family while signing the new legislation into law.
“Thousands of Virginians are living with sickle cell disease right now. They are managing chronic pain, navigating a healthcare system that too often dismisses them, and in some cases driving hours to reach the nearest specialist,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “Some of them are students in our schools whose coaches and nurses may not know how to recognize a crisis. Some are patients in our hospitals who face bias that shapes the care they receive. That is not a system that is working. The Commonwealth of Virginia has a responsibility to do better for Virginians.”