Angella D. Ferguson facts for kids

Angella Dorothea Ferguson (born February 15, 1925 – died January 6, 2026) was an amazing American doctor. She was a pediatrician, which means she specialized in caring for children. Dr. Ferguson became famous for her important research on a blood condition called sickle cell disease.

Angella Ferguson's Early Life and Education

Angella Dorothea Ferguson was born in Washington, D.C., on February 15, 1925. She was one of eight children. Her family faced financial challenges, especially during the Great Depression. Angella's father was a teacher and also worked as an architect.

Angella loved chemistry and mathematics in high school. She graduated in 1941. She then went to Howard University. In 1945, she earned a degree in chemistry. She continued her studies at the Howard University College of Medicine. In 1949, she became a medical doctor. It was rare for African-American women to be accepted into medical schools back then.

Dr. Ferguson completed her medical training at Washington Freedman's Hospital. She started teaching pediatrics at Howard University in 1953. Later, she became a professor there. She also studied at Bethesda Naval Hospital. There, she learned about using special substances called radioisotopes in medicine. She also studied hematology, which is the study of blood.

Dr. Ferguson also worked at the District of Columbia General Hospital. She also had her own private practice. In her practice, she noticed something important. Most medical research focused on children of European descent. This made it harder to treat her African-American patients well.

Dr. Ferguson's Important Research

Dr. Ferguson wanted to understand how African-American children grew. She found that there was not much information available. She started collecting her own data. She made an interesting discovery. African-American babies often learned to sit and stand earlier. This might have been because they had fewer playpens or high chairs.

Discovering Sickle Cell Disease Patterns

While studying children's growth, Dr. Ferguson noticed something else. Many babies in her practice had sickle cell disease. This is a genetic blood disorder. It affects red blood cells, making them C-shaped like a sickle. These cells can block blood flow, causing pain.

At that time, not many doctors knew much about sickle cell disease. Dr. Ferguson became one of the first to study it closely. She tracked how the disease developed in African-American infants.

New Ways to Help Patients

Dr. Ferguson found that drinking water could help. If young children with sickle cell drank a glass of water daily, it helped. This increased their blood volume. It reduced their chances of a "sickle-cell crisis." A crisis is when blood cells block vessels, causing severe pain.

She also created new ways to diagnose the disease. She developed a blood test for children under 12. This test helped find sickle cell anemia early. She also suggested giving more oxygen during surgery. This helped patients with sickle cell disease.

Her blood test for newborns became very important. By 2010, it was a standard test in 40 U.S. states. Today, it is still used in most states. This helps many babies get early treatment.

Leading Hospital Projects

In 1965, Dr. Ferguson took on a big project. She helped design a new children's wing at Freedman's Hospital. Later, she oversaw the renovation of the entire hospital. This big project was finished in 1975.

She returned to Howard University in 1970. She became the head of the University Office of Health Affairs. She worked in leadership roles until she retired in 1990.

Personal Life

Angella Ferguson was married to Charles M. Cabaniss. They had two daughters together.

Dr. Ferguson passed away on January 6, 2026. She was 100 years old.

Awards and Memberships

Dr. Ferguson was part of many important groups. These included the National Medical Association and the Society for Pediatric Research. She also belonged to the Society of Nuclear Medicine. She received two special awards from the American Medical Association. These were called Certificates of Merit.

See also

• Doris L. Wether
• Mary Styles Harris