RATIONALE: Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder in which abnormal, crescent-shaped red blood cells interfere with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen through the body and can cause severe pain, stroke, and organ damage. Bone marrow transplantation, is a procedure in which the soft, sponge-like tissue in the center of bones producing white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets is replaced by bone marrow from a another person. Bone marrow transplantation may be an effective treatment in relieving the symptoms of sickle cell disease.