Sickle cell anaemia is a serious condition that is one of several types of sickle cell…

Sickle cell anaemia is a serious condition that is one of several types of sickle cell disease. It can affect anyone but is prevalent mainly in those with African and Caribbean backgrounds.

Normal red blood cells are round so that they can flow freely. With sickle cell, they are abnormally shaped and sometimes get stuck within the blood vessels. This can cause a great deal of pain and is referred to as a sickle cell crisis. People with sickle cell are also usually anaemic and are more prone to infections.

Sickle cell anaemia can only occur if either:

A. Both parents are carriers of the disease

B. Both parents have the disease

C. One parent is a carrier and the other has the disease

If one parent has neither sickle cell trait or the disease, but the other parent does, it is not possible for the baby to have the disease, as it requires copies of the gene from both parents.

There is a chance that the baby may be carriers though, meaning if they then have children with someone else who is a carrier, they run the risk of having a baby with the disease.

Sickle cell anaemia is no joke! A cousin of mine passed away from the disease several years ago. Blood transfusions are often a way of life for sufferers and the pain can be debilitating. This pain is often underestimated by others.

At the moment in the UK, there is a huge demand for blood for sickle cell patients, and more blood is needed, particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds.

If you want to find out more about donating blood, please check out @givebloodnhs

*Please note that you can't donate blood during pregnancy or are less than 6 months postpartum

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