Closing the Gaps Dr. La’Shardae Scott on Family, Advocacy, and the Fight Against Sickle Cell Disease

For Dr. La’Shardae Scott, the mission behind the Scott Center for Observation, Treatment and Transition (S.C.O.T.T.) is deeply personal. In this episode of Taylor Community Connection, Terry Crosby sits down with the organization’s President and CEO to talk about how her experiences as a mother became the foundation for work that is helping families navigate sickle cell disease, healthcare, education, and everyday life.

Dr. Scott is the mother of four boys, two of whom were diagnosed with sickle cell disease at birth. As she began navigating their diagnoses, she quickly discovered gaps in the resources available to families in Ohio.

Rather than accepting those gaps, she went looking for answers.

Turning Personal Experience Into Purpose

Dr. Scott returned to her hometown of Detroit and interned with a sickle cell organization there to learn more about the resources and support available to families. Her experience ultimately influenced a major change in her own career path.

Originally studying secondary education, she shifted her focus to social work, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern Michigan University and eventually continuing into doctoral studies.

It was during those doctoral studies that the idea for S.C.O.T.T. began as a capstone project.

Dr. Scott saw an opportunity to take what she had experienced personally and create something that could help other families avoid the same feelings of uncertainty and isolation.

She brought the idea to life with a focus on bridging communities, closing gaps, and creating solutions for people navigating complex systems.

Helping Families Navigate More Than Healthcare

Living with sickle cell disease can involve much more than medical appointments and treatment.

Dr. Scott explains that families may also need to navigate education, community resources, and the many social factors that can influence health and quality of life. Those systems can be difficult to understand, particularly for a family facing a new diagnosis.

That is where S.C.O.T.T. works to make a difference.

Dr. Scott’s goal is not simply to provide information. It is to empower families with the resources and knowledge they need to advocate for themselves and move through challenges with greater confidence.

Her passion comes from a simple place. She never wants another family to experience the same void she felt while trying to find support for her own children.

Closing Health Disparities Through Community

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Scott and Terry discuss the importance of addressing health disparities and creating partnerships that continue long after a single event ends.

For Dr. Scott, meaningful collaboration is intentional. She wants organizations partnering with S.C.O.T.T. to understand why the work matters and to share a genuine commitment to empowering and showing up for the community.

That philosophy is one reason the relationship between S.C.O.T.T. and Taylor Automotive Family has become so meaningful.

Dr. Scott explains that the word family immediately comes to mind when she thinks about Taylor Automotive. Because S.C.O.T.T. itself was built on family principles, she saw a natural alignment between the organizations and their commitment to community involvement.

Heal Together Race for Sickle Cell

That partnership will continue this September as Taylor Automotive Family proudly serves as a Platinum Sponsor of the second Heal Together: Race for Sickle Cell 5K Run/Walk.

The event will take place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 8 a.m. to noon at Ottawa Park in Toledo. Participants can choose to run or walk the 5K, making the event an opportunity for people throughout the community to come together in support of individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease.

For Dr. Scott, however, the impact cannot stop when the event ends.

Her vision for partnership is about what happens afterward. It is about continuing to educate, advocate, empower, and show up for families throughout the year.

That commitment reflects the heart of S.C.O.T.T. and the journey that brought Dr. Scott to this work in the first place.

What began with a mother searching for answers for her sons became a doctoral project, and that project became an organization working to make the road easier for other families.

Through advocacy, education, community partnerships, and a determination to close gaps in care, Dr. La’Shardae Scott is helping families facing sickle cell disease know they do not have to navigate that journey alone.

👉 Watch now to hear Dr. La’Shardae Scott share the personal story behind S.C.O.T.T., the importance of empowering families, and how the community can come together for the Heal Together: Race for Sickle Cell 5K.