Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Basics Regarding Sickle Cell Charities For Kids

By Rosella Campbell


Sickle-cell disease and sickle-cell anemia, SCD or SCA respectively, are names given to a hereditary blood disorder. This condition is characterized by red blood cells that take on an rigid, abnormal shape. This sickling decreases the overall flexibility of the cells and heightens risk of life-threatening conditions. The disease is the result of a mutant gene that produces a mix of abnormal and normal haemoglobin. There are many sickle cell charities for kids that are designed to raise money to fund treatments and research for those affected by this hereditary disorder.

People that have this condition usually have a life that is shortened. In the past, males and females were not thought to live past 50 years of age. There have been advancements in medicine that have made for better disease management and now people with this are expected to live much longer. In fact, some live to 70 years old or beyond. A key to managing this being knowledgeable.

Organizations or charities for children strive to provide money that can be placed toward more research and studies on this disease. These funds are also used to bring new awareness to the public by way of educational resources and other information. Essentially, the goal is to educate children, parents and others about managing this disorder until a cure is found.

There are a lot of complications that can come on as a result of this disease. Sufferers are more likely to have a stroke, bacterial infections, leg ulcers, decreased immune systems, opiod intolerance, cholelithiasis, infarction and priapism and more. Most of these problems are preventable or easily treated amongst those who take care of themselves. Some of the most common treatments needed by sufferers of sickle cell include: penicillin and folic acid, malaria chemoprophylaxis, transfusion therapy, bone marrow transplants, vaso-occlusive crises, acute chest crisis and hydroxyurea.

These charities may put donations toward a variety of different programs and benefits. Ultimately, they focus their efforts toward supporting research, professional education, providing public information and advocacy. It is important to look into the background of the charities and organizations before contributing them, to ensure you know where the money is going and that the donation is being sent to a trusted entity. The thing that many of these groups share is the desire to find a cure for this inherited disease so that children do not have to grow up with this illness and eventually pass it on.

What is believed to be the first written account of this condition was from around the 1840s. The 1900s saw a lot more information about this condition come to light. This disease afflicts many people around the globe, but appears to be more prevalent among those with ancestry linking them to the Middle East, Mediterranean countries, East India and Africa.

Diagnosis is typically done at birth as part of newborn screening tests. A second test is usually done to confirm the diagnosis. Children with this disease are more prone to infection and complications. This is why early treatment and diagnosis is important to preventing serious problems.

It is crucial that children with this receive proper care on a regular basis. Guardians are expected to share all questions or concerns with health care providers. As children get older, education about this disease is recommended. Charities do their part to make resources available to people around the world as they strive to raise funds to get a cure.




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