SICKLE CELL DISEASE

When some children die in some communities, it is blamed on witchcraft and on ancestors. Little do they know that there is what is called sickle cell anaemia, this is hereditary. It is a situation whereby the red blood cells take a sickle shape, and such a sickle cell may not be efficient enough in carrying oxygen and is very quickly destroyed during any infection.

This situation as earlier stated is hereditary from the parents by the carrier, and when that happens it is life time. This condition shows itself when it affects someone, it is not like other sickness / diseases. Nobody can say he or she has over grown this. In some communities and families, when such incident happens, they blame it on that such a person is an Ogbanje and host of other names. Once this confusion sets in, people keep running, from one witch doctor to another instead of going to see a Medical Doctor for treatment and possible advice. Being so as it is, the carrier since was born with the condition will certainly die with it. The only precaution by the patient parents is to make sure they do not raise children that are carriers, and if they do, prevent them from marrying someone who is also a carrier like them.

Somebody can get the condition by inheritance, from father and mother of a carrier or sufferer. This happens during the pregnancy of the sufferer in the mother‘s womb. It is purely a blood thing. The only way it can be eradicated is by ensuring that the blood of carrier parents are not transferred to the children; if they do then the spread continues. People must be enlightened that people with high probability of sickle cell should not marry, so as not to produce sicklers. Only one carrier in a family could ruin such a family to bankruptcy.

DETERMINANT
It is the genotype that is the determining force of sickle cell. This genotype are numerous some include:

1. AA
2. AS
3. SS
4. AC
5. AE
6. EE
7. SE
8. SC
9. A/HPFH
10. S/HPFH
    I shall discuss two of these Genotype.

THE AA GENOTYPE
The Is the best type of genotype. Whoever has this AA genotype will never produce a sickler. The AA genotype is that which is not too bad could be considered fair. it must be controlled in such a way that none of the parents get married to an SS patient for if they do, their childion oral least one of their children will certainly be a sickler and only that child can ruin the family and drain the families purse by spending most of his life in the hospital for treatment.

This certainly brings sorrow and hatred. A family where love suppose to dwell will be sunk in perpetual sadness. To correct this, it is not advisable for AS genotype to get married to an AS genotype, but an AA genotype can get married to an AS genotype, such parents are going to give birth to AA and AS children. It should be stressed here that a situation where both the man and woman are AS genotype patient, they should not marry because it will be better for them not to bring up children at all, than to bring one or more that will eventually ruin the family before eventually bowing down to death.

THE “SS” GENOTYPE
This is the worst genotype one can ever imagine. In short, it is absolutely bad and problematic. People who have this type of genotype are referred to as sickler because as the name connotes they are always sick. if you see them playing now, after an hour you can see them in the hospital bed being attended to by the Doctor and they could spend two or more weeks on a sick bed; on discharge they could visit home after some days, rushed back to the hospital. This is their usual life style. They spend most of their lives in the hospital with Doctor's attention and on drugs regularly. Can you imagine how the parents of such a child or children will be so distressed? All their earnings and savings will always be into the coffer of the hospital or the Doctor, living his parents With nothing but poverty till death.

Most people in some rural area till date, don't know much about this dreaded condition, because of the level of their illiteracy and ignorance they call these sickle cell patients or sickier “OGBANJE” “ABIKU” moving from one native or witch doctor to another, killing innocent animals for rituals and sacrifices on our junction, most importantly, wrecking their parents financially,

Parents should take note and people should carry enlightenment campaign to their villagers that “SS” in short, sickle cell anaemia is a bad condition which must be guided against; the government alone cannot do it, most villagers seem to hear or listen to their enlightened men and women than government representative, so they should be guided to control this dreaded sickle cell.

HOW TO DETERMINE WHO IS A SICKLE CELL
To determine who is a sickler, or a carrier, please go to any Medical Laboratory and tell them you wish to check your genotype and follow strictly the instructions/advice you will be given at the laboratory after the exercise. Let us see diagrams to represent what children of some parents who do not listen to these instructions bring to life.

1. When father is SS and mother is SS
   
   This is a very bad situation and only this child will ruin this family. and render them bankrupt. l warn you again. ills better to tell a man or woman sorry ! We can't marry than to get married and live a miserable life.

2. When the father is as and mother SS
   
   in this circumstances, where the father, is AS and the mother is SS, their children may likely be AS and SS.

3. When the father is AS and mother AS
   
   Here both parents are carries hence, they gave birth to a carrier and a stickler. Don't forget, only one sickler can ruin the family.

4. When a father is AA and mother SS
   
   This situation is not bad since only one parents is a stickler; but their children must not marry an AS or SS patient.

5. When father is AA and mother AS
   
   This is a good combination but such children must be taken to medical laboratory for a genotype test to know who is an AS patient among the children so that he or she does not marry an AS or SS patient thereafter.

6. When father is AA and mother AA
   
   This situation is very good and in short, the best. Both parents and free and their children are free as well and will never in life give birth to a stickler or a carrier and the family will live happily for as long as they live.

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