Donneurs de sens – Season 2: 101 courses, episode 10

Sickle-cell anemia

Sickle-cell anemia is a blood disorder that causes red blood cells to become misshapen and leads to a number of complications. What are the symptoms of sickle-cell anemia? How is it treated? Why does Héma-Québec need blood from specific communities to treat patients with sickle-cell anemia?

Sickle-cell anemia affects some communities more than others, like Black, Middle Eastern, Indian and some Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, etc.) populations. Many sickle-cell anemia patients undergo erythrocytapheresis, a treatment that replaces their red blood cells with healthy ones. Erythrocytapheresis provides patients relief from pain and symptoms, but requires a great deal of blood: 130 donations per year to treat just one patient and over 26,000 donations each year to teat all Quebecers diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia!

In this tenth episode of the series, hosts Camille Lemay and Henrio Grubissa speak with Naderge Ceneston, Cultural Communities Development Counselor for Héma-Québec, about all things sickle-cell anemia.