Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in partnership with the Ministry of Health recently joined the rest of the globe to mark World Sickle Cell Day.
The day is celebrated globally to create more awareness on the disease as well as to show solidarity with people who continue to suffer from this public health problem.
The theme for this year's event was - 'building and strengthening World Sickle Cell community and also formalizing screening new born babies and knowing your status.'
At the event, Samuel Adegoke, a consultant Haematologist/Oncology, expressed gratitude to be part of the event, saying the Sickle Cell is a chronic disease with lot of pains, burden and stress.
"That's why we still need to celebrate the Day. We want to thank the organisers, government of the Gambia, the hospital for the opportunity to celebrate sickle cell day. There are so many challenges faced by Sickle Cell patients as almost all the time because of the nature of the blood it tends to break which results to yellow eye."
He noted that 'if this breakage to the blood' is too much, there urine then turn to coca cola colour.
"Sickle Cell patients should always visit their doctors who will give instruction from time to time. I therefore urged the parents to please help there children by following the doctor's instruction."
Mohammed Bah, chairman of Sickle Cell Parent's Association, recounted some of the challenges in understanding the genotype of infant and adult with regards to fighting Sickle cell disease, further acknowledging the support of health caregivers, who he said, are always ready to conduct and facilitate test for children.
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"Am a father of a child who has Sickle cell and she has undergone many suffering. Before we know she is suffering from Sickle Cell we resort to using so many traditional medecine."
Bah recalled that when she was brought to EFSTH, she was diagnosed with Sickle Cell.
"Even if she is sick it is not the way she was suffering before after been diagnosed which affected her schooling. He urged parents to conduct the test of their children and get diagnosed to know there status."
Mariama Sowe, a Sickle cell patient, narrated some touching moments she faced being sickle cell patient.
She recounted that while growing up, she noticed that many people did not experience the same health problems as she did.
"In high school I learnt that everyone doesn't get sick as I do. The hardest chance of growing up was the chance of disuading to social life activities. Frequent visit to the hospital was part of my chilhood. I had no friend due to my condition as my mother has always advise me to stay away from childhood games for it will trigger my situation."
Despite these health challenges, she noted that she never wanted sickle cell to influence who she was and what she could achieve.
"Growing up, society made me believe that someone with sickle cell couldn't have a child or will make the pregnancy journey very difficult. When I got pregnant I was terrify for my life and that of my unborn baby."
