Council leader urges community to help those living with sickle cell disease

A council leader is sharing his story of living with sickle cell disease in a bid to raise awareness about the life-saving importance of blood donations. 

Sickle cell is a genetic condition that changes red blood cells, causing them to become stiff and curve shaped. This impacts the flow of blood cells and the oxygen they carry, leading to pain and discomfort. 

Leader of Greenwich council, Cllr Anthony Okereke, said: “I have lived with sickle cell for 34 years and will continue to live with it for the rest of my life. I spent my childhood growing up in Greenwich Hospital, and since 2016, I have my blood exchanged every six weeks at Guy’s Hospital.

“Seventy two people donate every year for me alone and, like many people living with sickle cell, I wouldn’t be able to live my life, or work doing what I love, without blood transfusions.”

More than 200 donations are needed every day to support people with sickle cell, and new figures revealed that demand for blood to treat sickle cell patients has gone up by more than 50 percent since 2016. 

While anyone can be born with sickle cell, it mainly impacts people from African and Caribbean backgrounds.  

Georgelene Elliot, chief executive of Black Blood Matters, said: “We urgently need more Black blood donors to meet the demand for well-matched blood to treat patients living with sickle cell.”

If you would like to donate blood or find out your blood type, you can go online check eligibility, register and book an appointment at blood.co.uk. 

Pictured top: Leader of Greenwich council, Cllr Anthony Okereke receives a blood transfusion at Guy’s Hospital (Picture: Greenwich council)