Imagine a knife cutting deep into your flesh. Imagine it reaching even deeper and stabbing the bone repeatedly; such is the pain that those with Sickle Cell disease experience as described by Ms. Sabrina Kazim. She has been living with the debilitating disease for over thirty years.
Sickle cell disease occurs when a group of red blood cell disorders is inherited. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. Normal cells are shaped like discs, but people with Sickle Cell Disease have cells that are often shaped like crescents, which can stick to the walls of the blood vessels and cause blockages. When there is lack of tissue oxygen, Sicklers, as persons with the disease are known, often experience sudden and severe pain attacks, known as crises. These painful attacks can occur at any time and often require going to the hospital for treatment.
Sometime last year, I featured the organisation FACES (Fight Against siCkle cEll Stigma), which was founded by Ms. Sabrina Kazim. The organisation exists not only to spread awareness about the disease, but to also provide a place where Sicklers can meet and share their struggles and lean on each other for comfort and encouragement. Unified in their struggles, Sicklers are some of the strongest and most courageous members of our society.
