The Sickle Cell Society provides this helpful explanation of what Sickle Cell is: "The disorder affects the red blood cells which contain a special protein called haemoglobin, or Hb. The function of haemoglobin is to carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
People with Sickle Cell Anaemia have Sickle haemoglobin (HbS), which is different from the normal haemoglobin (HbA). When sickle haemoglobin gives up its oxygen to the tissues, it sticks together to form long rods inside the red blood cells making these cells rigid and sickle-shaped. Normal red blood cells can bend and flex easily."
There are different kinds of Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD). The different traits are found mainly in people of African, Caribbean, eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Asian origin. In Britain, SCD is most common in people of African and Caribbean descent. Between 2.5 and 10 per cent are believed to have the sickle cell trait and one in 60 to 200 have SCD. More than 6,000 adults and children are estimated to have SCD in Britain.
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