#DearSickleCell
To mark Sickle Cell Awareness Month (September) sickle cell patients across London have filmed emotional messages to encourage people of black heritage to step forward and become regular blood donors.
The #DearSickleCell messages are designed to help others understand the daily battle and pain that sickle cell patients and their families go through, by addressing the illness as if it were a person.
NHS Blood and Transplant urgently needs more black donors to provide life-saving blood transfusions to sickle cell patients. Ethnically matched blood provides the best treatment for this.
Diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia at nine months old, Dionne Rose, aged 28, from Greenwich, is supporting the campaign by sharing her sickle cell story in an emotional film.
“Growing up, I would suffer from agonising pains in my back, legs, and chest and it would get worse at night, stopping me from sleeping.” she said.
Dionne suffered a particularly bad crisis at the age of six. She needed an emergency blood transfusion that saved her life.
“I was rushed to hospital where the doctors spotted my haemoglobin levels were critically low. I also had hypothermia which really worsened my condition. If I hadn't receive a blood transfusion there and then, things would have gotten a lot worse for me. It was very scary for me and my family,” Dionne explained.
“Having that blood there for me at that time was pivotal in saving my life.”
Dionne’s transfusions haven’t always been well-matched and she has developed antibodies against them as a result.
“The NHS has always tried to match my blood as best they can, but if I’m to need a transfusion in the future, it will need to be an exact match. This is why we need more black people to donate blood; it could save my life and the lives of others.”
People from the same ethnic background are more likely to have the same blood type. However the shortage of black blood donors makes it harder to find the best matched blood for black patients.
The red blood cells of sickle cell patients form into a sickle or crescent moon shape. These misshapen cells can block blood vessels, causing agonising pain, and creating a risk of organ damage, stroke, and death.
Tullie Yeghen, Consultant Haematologist, said: “There is a high incidence of sickle cell disease across Lewisham and Greenwich, which means we see more patients with the condition than any other district general hospital in the country. We urgently need more black donors to help treat sickle cell patients like Dionne. Blood donation is quick, easy and safe and we urge people in the area to register as donors to help save lives.”
The #DearSickleCell campaign is running throughout September, which is recognised as Sickle Cell Awareness Month throughout the world.
Become a blood donor. Register today and book and appointment by calling 0300 123 23 23, downloading the GiveBloodNHS app, or visiting blood.co.uk