Charity M., 12

Charity is a Grade 5 student attending a nearby local day school. She lives with her mother, who runs a small vegetable business to support them. Their limited income is barely enough to cover Charity’s school fees and provide a single meal each day. Despite these hardships, Charity remains active in school and currently serves as the class chairperson. She dreams of becoming a teacher one day. She recently came for a follow-up visit after hearing about a charity organization that assists vulnerable children living with sickle cell disease and experiencing frequent health crises. During her visit, Charity reported feeling unusually tired, with severe headaches and overwhelming fatigue. She has a history of anemia, with her last recorded hemoglobin level at 5.8 g/dL, but her family has been unable to afford the proper diet or medications. She also struggles with shortness of breath even after minimal physical exertion.

Charity was diagnosed with Vaso occlusive crisis.She was given antibiotics,sickle cell drugs and rehidrating fuids.As she started feeling better, she was discharged from the hospital to continue her treatment in at home. During the check-up call, the Helpster volunteer heard from a joyful mother that she is now fully recovered and back to her normal life. She goes to school

If Charity was left untreated, vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in sickle cell disease could have lead to severe and potentially life-threatening complications. These crises, characterized by blocked blood flow due to sickled red blood cells, can cause intense pain and damage to various organs and tissues. Without prompt and effective treatment, VOCs can result in acute chest syndrome, stroke, chronic pain, organ damage (including to the spleen, liver, and kidneys), and even death.