Help 100 Sickle Cell Anaemia Children in Uganda

Sickle Cell anaemia is a genetic disease with a power to change the identity of the patient. Carrier or Sufferer tag defines ‘how’ and ‘how long’ patient will live. The life expectancy of persons with sickle cell anaemia is reduced substantially due to limited medical resources available for tribal population. This disease is common in tribal community thereby making it all the worse due to lack of screening, diagnosis and right treatment. Some patients, however, can remain without symptoms for years, while others do not survive infancy or early childhood. 

SCOEN’s regular screening camps and treatment proved very fruitful in limiting the severity of this fatal disease. Most patients suffer pain crises, fatigue, liver/spleen related disturbances and progressive tissue and organ damage. Impaired growth and development is the painful emotional trauma that is endured by parents and children with sickle cell anaemia.

We strongly feel that there is a Need to change the outlook towards patients of Sickle Cell Anaemia in the society. Any change begins with us as an individual. There are many things which an individual can help to sickle cell patients. Changing attitude and outlook towards their requirements is just the beginning.

Within camps we distributed free sweaters and blankets to the needy. Cold weather triggers their pain and hence greater chance of sickling crisis.

During this camp we received a special appreciation as district councils who visited our camp and appreciated our work. He also offered his full support for sickle cell awareness drive and treatment.

What you can do for Sickle Cell Patients:

1. Change your outlook towards sickle cell patients and their disease. Even though disease cannot be treated there are a whole lot of things which can be done for children and patients to let them enjoy their limited time.
2. Talk more about sickle cell anaemia at social gatherings and media.
3. Make people and government aware about the need of help 
4. Sickle Cell Patients are suffering with chronic problems however superficially they might sound normal for you. Be sympathetic towards their needs. Take care of them.
5. Donate sweaters, nutritional supplements or other regular medicines. Try to reduce their financial burden. Have donors in your contact list? Or you want to donate? Help them to find a cause for that donation. 
6. Sponsor a child for education/medicines or for advanced treatment.
7. Sponsor a sickle cell family.
8. Volunteer for the awareness of this deadly disease.
9. Participate and support Screening camps, treatment services.

 We provide care and support to all those affected by Sickle Cell as well as other healthcare Support which include:

• Nutritional supplements for children with Sickle Cell
• Information resources
• Sickle Cell Advice and counselling  

Your donations bringhope, love and bring smiles on the faces of sickle cell patients.

Please write to us for comments and for volunteering for fund raising activities.

Compassion hearts is a call for community to step up, find little ways to help Sicklecell anaemia children during COVID-19. The rapid spread of COVID-19 has meant theSickle cell anaemia children we support have been disconnected from us for over 32days. These families are not equipped to deal with the pandemic. With all diseases,the Sickle cell anaemia child is always most at risk. We need to provide information,essential items and support to ensure these families we support are safe. The project works to will help us provide information, care kits-emergency supplieslike; sickle cell treatment - HYDROXYUREA TREATMENT recommended, food, soap &sanitary products for Sickle cell anaemia children and their loved one. Also withcontinue our essential counselling programme to these families on phone to ensurethey are alone. What we have accomplished Compassion hearts: Serving COVID19 in sickle-child has reached 20 sickle cellanemic children with 10Kgs of Maize Flour - Posho, with 5Kgs of rice, 5Kgs of bean, 2Bars of soap and liquid soap. The project has also engaged the caretakers of thechildren during the home visit and the delivery of the food items on the challengesthey go through, what and how they think should be done to minimise the crisis –painful attack on the children. The food items were delivered door to door to avoidattracting the gathering of people so as to combat the spread of COVID-19. We have also conducted COVID-19 Cell Disease: Frequently Asked Questions sessionthat surely helped the caretakers and Sickle Advice for family members andcaregivers - Family members and caregivers of people with sickle cell disease Challenges There were few challenges and we were able to overcome, this included floods in one sub county of Kolir, that made out door to door delivery difficult it increased the cost of travel/delivery, the beans were very scarce and expensive. Difference that your donation made The grant has enabled us to provide at least 25 meals for the sickle cell anaemicchild which was challenging many of the caregivers could not access markets oreven sell their own produce to feed their children with total lockdown that wasimplemented. stigma and myths about sickle cell disease are widespread in these communities.Stigmatisation isolates sickle-cell patients and their families from society. In manycases, women with sick children are abandoned by their husbands, whichcomplicates their financial situation and, by extension, access to treatment. Withthis project we able to unite one family (the husband, wife and children) thehusband had abandoned his family. The family has 5 sickle cell children out of 6, thisso breaking. This messaged has made rounds in the community and we are proud of the your generosity that has given us the greenlight to change our communities, information is power and a step to change!