HEROES SAVE LIVES OF CHILDREN

Most importantly these hereos save the lives of two of my children Alexis and Zachary. My children were diagnosed with a life threatening, genetic blood disorder called "Sickle Cell Beta Thalassaemia’ about 12 years ago. They have both received over 340 units of donated blood within that time.

Sickle Cell Beta Thalassaemia is a condition that affects the protein called haemoglobin in red blood cells to sickle, instead of remaining their usual round shape. Round is the healthiest shape for red blood cells because they move easily through the body.

When red blood cells sickle they can get stuck and die, especially inside smaller blood vessels. When the body’s blood is not flowing properly it can also cause a lot of pain. The body knows that sickle cells aren’t good so it attacks and destroys them.

But the body can’t make new cells fast enough to replace the old ones. Anytime a persons body dosen’t have enough red blood cells, it’s called anemia. All this can affect important organs like the heart, the brain and kidneys.