Help Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Paying It Forward

Tariq is my 11-year-old son and he was born with sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited blood disorder that causes severe pain, fatigue and anaemia. The gene for sickle cell anaemia is inherited from both parents for the illness to occur in children and a bone marrow transplant is the only cure for this disease, an extremely expensive procedure. Not every child is as lucky as my son Tariq who received a bone marrow transplant as a result of an anonymous donor to cure his disease. The incidence of SCD in Jamaica is relatively high, as one in every one hundred and fifty (150) children born has a form of sickle cell disease, compared to one in every 375 children born in the United States.

Thankfully, today Tariq is healthy and happy which is my motivation to help other children in Jamaica who are living in poverty. Children with SCD often attend school less frequently than others. SDC affects their learning and many leave school lacking the skills or formal qualifications to gain meaningful employment. For those patients who find themselves in this position, it is a challenge to pay their medical bills. Help us along with Tariq to pay it forward by helping other children with sickle cell. A small $50 donation will help poor patients with medical expenses.

I'm partnering with the Sickle Cell Foundation in Jamaica to raise funds to help other children who are in need of urgent medical care. www.sicklecellfoundationja.org/about-us/

On behalf of the children in Jamaica. Thank you for your donation.