September is National Sickle Cell Awareness month and advocates are using this month to raise awareness about a disease many people don't even know they have.

It's a disease that often goes undiagnosed and affects people of all races.

Sickle Cell Thalassemia Patient Network president Donnette Carroll thought she had arthritis for years, but she actually has sickle cell anemia.

"It wasn't until I was about 25 that I was property diagnosed," says Carroll.

The only treatment options that used to be available were narcotics, but now there are new treatments available, like a new drug called Endari.

New York state has the highest number of residents diagnosed with sickle cell anemia, with around 10,000 patients.