The 8th of May is marked as “International Thalassemia Day.” The Day is devoted to raising awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about thalassemia, and helping the global thalassemia community to connect and call for changes towards the improvement of lives of patients with this inherited, debilitating blood disorder.
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder and blood condition that is passed down by parents to their offspring. The body’s capacity to generate hemoglobin and red blood cells is hindered in this condition. Put it another way, a person with thalassemia disease will have a small number of red blood cells and relatively little hemoglobin. Its effects can vary from moderate to extreme, and it can even be lethal.
There are so many children out there suffering from thalassemia.
Thalassemia patients need to undergo periodic Blood transfusions once in 3-4 weeks, throughout his / her lifetime.
A stem cell transplant is the only treatment that can cure thalassemia. But only a small number of people who have severe thalassemias are able to find a good donor match and have the risky procedure.
World Thalassaemia Day is observed to encourage those who struggle to live with the disease. This day is a commemoration day in honor of all patients suffering from thalassemia and their parents who have never lost hope for life, despite the burden of their disease, and also to all scientists who are doing hard work with dedication and trying to provide improved quality of life to people with thalassemia across the globe.
Moreover, this day is devoted to thalassemia patients and gives them a special chance to live a regular life while still preventing the disease from spreading across family, state, community, and region.
On World Thalassemia Day, I would request everyone to donate blood & be a savior of someone’s life.