As the world marks the ‘world sickle cell day’, parents of sickle cell have been advised always to monitor their children, both the young ones and even the matured.
This is according to the Founder of Sickle cell patients, Foundation, Hajia Badiya Magaji Inuwa, while conducting a walkout within some localities in Kaduna to commemorate the day, as well as to enlighten people on the need to know what sickle cell entails and how to help curb the increasing numbers of sickle cell in other to breed a healthy society.
Hajj Badiya, mother of two sickle cell victims, but lost one to the disease, expressed it could be devastating, and the much reason she came up with the foundation in other to help those battling with these ailments.
“Today, we went around the locality where our office is situated, basically to commemorate the world sickle cell day, and most importantly to enlighten people on that sickle cell exist, and that they should always go for blood, Genotype test. Because without it, many people can fall into the trap of.
“We see the sufferings sicklers go through. I am a mother of two sicklers; that was why I started this clinic because I lost one child in the process of this sickle cell crisis. Thank God people are coming from other states. So long you are a sickle cell, we are giving our drugs for free, and the drugs we are administering on them, there is progress, most of them are not cured, but they are much better.”
“We decided to go round to give flyers to explain to people the consequences and implications of this sickle cell”, she said.
Meanwhile, she stressed parents of sickle cell should always keep a tab and encourage their children, especially the younger ones who may be challant with their health, again, begged the matured who are yet to marry should go for a genotype test to know their compatibility.
Also, the Public relation officer of the Sickle cell patients Foundation, Femi Oyelola, said it is time to rise and wipe away sickle cell through awareness “since there are no drugs for it, no medical treatment If you decide to know your genotype before marriage, we can reduce it. I can tell you in Nigerian, we have 50% reduction because of awareness”, he noted.
