Sickle cell as some know, is a terrible and even dangerous condition for anybody to have. Although as I am writing this, the UK government does not count Sickle Cell Anaemia as serious. Even though many sufferers die from it every month, even every day, depending on how bad the person involve is affected.
Someone was ask, "what type of sickness do they have" by the DWP, Department for Work and Pension (UK) when the sufferer applies for ESA (Employment and Support Allowance). They reply SICKLE CELL. But guess what, it was not in the DWP's record of illnesses but DWP recognise other illnesses that you hardly hear of people dying from (no offences to anybody). It's a shame. Even though sickle cell as been around for hundred years or even more, actually recognise from 1870s as Africa disease. It's still not counted as anything, especially in UK. As someone, said, "because it's not a white man's illness, then it is no illness".
However, it as being reported in recent years that sickle cell can affect anybody from any race as we mix with each other. Watch the video clip at http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9065923.
What some people don't understand is that, sickle cell is inherited from birth and is within the blood. This comes from both parents i.e. when SS or SC comes together from both sides. When a sufferer has crisis as is called, the person involve goes through excruciating pain. It's indescribable. It's like hammering nails through someone's joints and no oxygen supply hence failure sometimes to organs leading to death.
I personally, dislike the UK system because they do not support this people who are suffering everyday and neither make their lives better. But instead, they make life a living hell for them. Some are doing everything they can to work and make ends meet. What the UK system as to say is that you only need help if you're a cancer patient and can only get DLA (Disability Living Allowance) if you can't support yourself everyday. What about those times, the sufferer is in agony, they can't walk on their two feet, they barley can stand and how do you expect such person to hold down a job. Don't get me wrong, any sufferer can work. The only thing I am saying is give them the support and the assistant they need and don't make life hard for them.
We want to work. The question is, who of those employers is willing to take someone on that is always off sick every now and then from work. They will say, it's not good for their business (which is understandable). So the question is, how do you help these people and how can they help themselves, if this is what they go through all their lives? Unless, they can work for themselves but how many people can do that?
Another thing that people do not understand is that SICKLE CELL is a life time condition, until a miracle happens to change that person's blood then the person is in it for life. Other than that, the sufferer just have to live with the condition all their lives. The condition needs to be make aware to people all over the world. If you talk about cancer people know it, if you talk about diabetes people know it, if you talk about Asthma people know it, the list goes on. But with SICKLE CELL hardly does anyone knows about it expect the sufferers themselves and their carers. I think it is a big issue that we sufferers and carers need to talk about and for the system to listen and do something to help us. Nobody is better than us nor deserve better than us.
Also read article at http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/story?id=4151169&page=1
If anyone knows help that is been given to sufferers please leave a comment as it will really be appreciated.
