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NEW: ‘I was ready to die just to be a mum' – Black families reveal the hidden heartbreak of Sickle cell disease on #WorldSickleCellDay from being ghosted to struggling to conceive. This is a startling reality we rarely read about. https://huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-hidden-heartbreak-of-sickle-cell-disease_uk_5d823967e4b070d468c52ef6?utm_campaign=share_twitter&ncid=engmodushpmg00000004
. @Africlick, a new dating app for professionals of African and Caribbean heritage by @DayoAKK, has factored Sickle cell into its matching algorithm. We spoke about this here: http://huffp.st/JtCNSAk https://twitter.com/DayoAKK/status/1274048413366210560?s=20
Those with Sickle cell 'trait’ carry the gene that causes the disease without actually developing it, but if partner is also a carrier, their children are at risk of having the disease. This can cause issues when it comes to relationships & family planning https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-hidden-heartbreak-of-sickle-cell-disease_uk_5d823967e4b070d468c52ef6?utm_campaign=share_twitter&ncid=engmodushpmg00000004/
Charlene, 27, and partner have the trait. While she'd always known she was a carrier, her partner only found out he was too after she became pregnant with their first son, who was born in 2017. He doesn't have the disease – but their twins, born later, do. http://huffp.st/JtCNSAk
When the couple went along to a prenatal screening to discuss her partner’s status, Charlene was shocked to hear the nurse mention abortion as a solution. “I held my composure because I know she was trying to just be helpful, but I didn’t feel helped.." http://huffp.st/JtCNSAk
Michael and his wife both have the trait and worry. They're applying through NHS for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis – a pioneering IVF procedure for parents with an inherited condition that could be passed on to a child. It's a complex process though. http://huffp.st/JtCNSAk
