Now you know by Akomolafe Oluwaseyi Busybrain

THE SICKLE CELL TOME

Written by *Akomolafe* *Oluwaseyi* *Busybrain*

I just completed some weeks posting in the paediatrics unit of a teaching hospital. During my posting I observed that the frequency of Sickle cell patients is the highest. They came in with different complications of HBss ;Vaso-occlusive crises, chronic pain syndrome, respiratory acidosis, sequestration, pulmonary hypertension, chronic hemolytic anaemia e.t.c.
I don't want to go into a detailed pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia, but I will describe an abstract of it.
A sickle cell patient has abnormal blood cell shape. Their haemolysis(destruction of red blood cells) is about 3-4 times faster that normal red blood cells. These dead cells become thick and this makes blood hard to flow through the vessels. This is the origin of the pain. This can also lead to difficulty in breathing and the transportation of oxygen is occluded. The pain is always so serious that the parent(The mother often) on seeing the kind of pain the offspring is experiencing starts crying.
Why is she crying?
The child did not choose this
The parent did.
She is crying because she is unhappy about the condition, she is also afraid the child could die.
Most parents having HBss offspring live everyday in fear and an uncertain tomorrow. The child can be alright right now, the next minute the crises could set in.
The parents spend most of their income on treatment, management and medication of this child. Leaving little for other things like getting a car, building a house and other financial needs.
Some parents who are wealthy still face the emotional problems if not the financial one. They also live daily in fear.
But, how did this start?
How did they get into this situation?
It's from there union;Genetics.
There is a chance of having a HBss offspring if a male and female of genotype AS and AS get married(copulate). Although there is a chance of having AS and AA offspring too. But the risk is way too high.
Some people however might love up and say they have faith that God will help them avoid SS offspring; Faith is good(I am a Christian too) But this is real. God gave us the ability to study these things for a reason.  He wants us to be guided. To avoid a future of hassle and sadness. He wants us to secure our future. These kids suffer a lot and sometimes they eventually loose there life. I must however mention there are some HBss carrier that live a long and well fulfilled life, But if you ask them, the going was not smooth.
And of course, prevention is always and will always be better that cure.
Let us save ourselves and our unborn from unnecessary sufferings
Save yourself from this by marring right. AS should never marry AS
There is enough woman for every man. God doesn't make mistakes.
Save your future!
It is in your hands!

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