Thalassemia major is characterized by the individual not being able to produce enough good hemoglobin. This is called ineffective erythropoiesis. This condition leads to a cascade of compensatory mechanisms. First it leads to massive bone marrow expansion, unusual organs become involved in attempting to make blood cellular components, the absorption of iron from the food intake increases and consequently there is severe organ damage.
Five years back, on 14th November 2011, with the cutting of a ribbon the Thalassemia Day Care Centre at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health was formally inaugurated. A small gift of children's day, a step in the direction of health, well-being and fulfilment of dreams for the little ones.
It was more than a year back when we a family who had two little girls suffering from thalassemia from Afghanistan approached Cure2Children Foundation for help with HLA typing. The family was overjoyed to find that both the girls had a match. The father of the girls is a driver and could not have afforded transplantation. Zwan family charities, Kabul decided to help the family and approached Dr Lawrence Faulkner for help with the transplantation.
The pathology department of JJM Medical College Davangere with it's associated blood bank at Bapuji Hospital organized a one day workshop on “Voluntary Blood Donation and Appropriate use of Blood Components” to promote voluntary blood donation and sensitize the medical fraternity about the need for rationale utilization of available blood resources.
Normally, when you tell a family which has a child who suffers from thalassemia, that they have a match, at least for one moment you expect to see a smile. This was not the case when we broke the news to five-year-old Nirmitha's family. She was detected with thalassemia within the first year of her birth and ever since she was dependent on monthly blood transfusions. Though they did come for the follow-up meetings, the expression on their face did not suggest that they were willing to go for the transplant.
