‘It’s an Invisible Friday (19 June) was World Sickle Cell Day, which is designed to raise awareness of a genetic blood disorder. Ahead of the day, ANNE WELSH told Emily Bright what it’s like to live with the chronic condition
‘W
hen I have a sickle cell crisis, I get pains and twitches in my arm,’ explains Anne Welsh. ‘It starts little by little, but suddenly it gets much worse, like someone hitting you with a hammer. I can barely breathe.’ Sickle cell disease is a genetic blood disorder, inherited from both parents, which affects about 15,000 people in the UK. It stems from an abnormality in haemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen round the body. The disorder means that the cells can change from a circular to a crescent moon or sickle shape. These cells stick together and block smaller blood vessels, disrupting the flow of oxygen and causing chronic pain in what is known as a sickle cell crisis. A crisis may be severe, sometimes lasting up to a week. It can be triggered by stress, not drinking enough water or significant changes in temperature. The lack of oxygen flowing round the body can also lead to anaemia, tiredness and shortness of breath. In the long-term, sickle cell disease can cause organ and bone damage, serious infections, strokes and even, in some cases, early death. Anne, who lives in London, turns 40 years old this year, and is no stranger to these bleak prognoses. ‘Doctors told me: you’re not going to live past 21, have kids or a fulfilling career,’ she says. ‘As a child, that was very daunting.’ She recalls when the disorder first manifested itself. ‘Although I first had symptoms at six months, I was officially diagnosed with sickle cell when I was three,’ she tells me. She says that sickle cell disease has not only had health implications, but has also affected her social and educational development too. ‘It was difficult, growing up. I was always sick and missed classes, which affected my grades. Kids bullied me, and teachers didn’t know how to treat me, so I felt insecure.’ At school, almost constant sickle cell crises meant that she was unable to study and she left without any GCSEs. Nevertheless she went on to achieve a master’s degree in investment management from Cass Business School in London. Yet, even after qualifying, her sickle cell disease made it difficult for her to find employment.
6 • War Cry • 20 June 2020
