blood transfusion in sickle cell

Published September 26, 2016 | By MUGABI CORNELIOUS

I am MUGABI CORNELIOUS aged 23 years, Ugandan by nationality. I come from Rubirizi district in western part of Uganda. Rubirizi is one of the districts with many sickle cell patients. It is an island of sickle cell because the neighboring districts have few sickle cell cases.

I live with my both parents who have toiled to live with me in such condition of sickle cell. Being a young couple and having a child who was going to be in pain for the rest of my life was a good test for my parents. I am the first born in the family of 4 children but the rest do not have sickle cell. I  have tried to study from primary then went to secondary after to A level and in A level the condition worsened where I became sick for 7 months and I missed the whole first term, which made me perform poorly and I got 5 points in PEM/COMP.

By that time I got recurrent crises and my Hb level reduced to 4g/dl then the doctor had to transfuse me in Comboni hospital in Bushenyi district with 2 units of blood of which in their blood bank they had remained with other groups I was not sharing with I am blood group A+ and they had to move to another hospital to get my blood.

I was in a lot of pain very weak and anemic blood was brought late in evening of which I was 2 days admitted by Gods mercy I became okay after transfusion because blood boosted my hb which is always low due to haemolysis that usually happen within 20-30 days of life of red blood cells. I had to use S.4 Results where I had a good 2nd grade and I joined nursing now I am taking general nursing completing November 2016  At IBANDA SCHOOL OF MIDWIFERY AND COMPREHENSIVE NURSING. My dream is to help other people with sickle cell disease to get good care.

Am very grateful to people who donate blood that save many lives of people with sickle cell disease when they have become anemic. If people with sickle cell disease were eligible to donate I would be donating blood the whole year.

 

Key Entry Rules

  1. You must be someone with Sickle Cell Disease or have some strong connection with SCD through kinship, friendship or caring responsibility.
  2. Your story – which must be true and should include some aspect of the importance of blood in the narrative – must be between 200–2,000 words.
  3. We expect most entries to come from Africa, but where you live is less important than the story you have to share.
  4. Stories must be submitted by the contest deadline of 30 September 2016.
  5. Photographs and other media can be included and are very much encouraged.
  6. First, second and third place winners will be awarded a monetary prize of $500/$350/$250 respectively. There will also be two special $125 prizes for standout young contestant (under 16) and standout health care professional, if not represented among the overall winners.

Story Criteria

Contest Rules

Past Winners