Jenica
Leah, a UK national from Birmingham who sponsors Gambian students affected with
sickle cell, has launched a book on sickle cell entitled, My Friend Jen, as
part of her efforts to sensitise the Gambian populace about the heritable blood
disorder.
The
book was launched in collaboration with the Sickle Cell Association of The
Gambia on 25 November 2016 at the Regional Education Office in Kanifing. Copies of the book were presented to the
regional education authorities.
The
author, herself a patient of sickle cell, said by writing the book, she wants
to go a step further to sensitise the people about sickle cell and all its
related issues.
Ms
Leah said in the UK, about 15,000 people are living with sickle cell and most
of them are below 19 years.
She
said her passion is to help others who are also living with sickle cell so that
they can help themselves rather than depend on others.
Speaking
at the launching ceremony, Janko Jawneh, a representative of the regional
education director, said sickle cell is not a disease but a condition which can
affect everybody.
“Sickle
cell is not transmitted but might be inherit from parents,” he said. “It does not have any cure but can be
prevented.”
Dr
Modou Bella Jallow, medical doctor at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital,
said sickle cell can cause recurrent pain and complications which can interfere
with many aspects of a patient’s life, including education, employment and
psychosocial development.
“Presently,
there is no cure for the disease; however, cost-effective treatment exists for
the pain and other aspects of the disease,” he said.
“The
most important component of this treatment is early intervention with
antibiotics, rest, good nutrition, folic acid supplementation and high fluid
intake.
“At
times, invasive procedures such as blood transfusions and surgery may be
needed.”
Sickle
cell disease is a heritable blood disorder that affects people in ways that can
be felt and seen such causing pain and swelling.
It
also affects people in less obvious ways such as slowing physical development,
damage to internal organs such as the liver, kidneys, and spleen.
Sickle
cell can cause stroke, eye sight problems, acute chest syndrome, blindness,
premature death and among more.
