The silent killer - Thalassaemia

This group of children from Tenom Thalassaemia Society deeply inspired me!

Last week, our hotel hosted accommodation and breakfasts for a group of 16 children & 6 adults from the Society. They were here for a 3D/2N city excursion in KK.

Thalassaemia is an inherited disease of the red blood cells. For those who may not know, it is a disease whereby there is genetic defect in the human body and therefore resulted in a synthesis of an abnormal hemoglobin molecule. With this, the blood cells will become vulnerable to mechanical injuries and therefore, sufferers would die easily. Basically, hemoglobin found in red blood cells is responsible for carrying oxygen through the body to all of the organ systems. Low hemoglobin, due to loss of red blood cells, leads to anemia and the inability of the body to deliver oxygen and maintain normal functions (as shown in the figure below).

© 2008 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc.

All this while, Promenade Hotel has been pretty supportive of this society through our very own blood donation campaigns, in aid of these children in need. I was told that there are actually 36 thalassaemia sufferers in the society but only 16 could turn up for this trip as some of them had taken ill. Sadly to know, the most active & helpful boy in the group is no longer with them. They wouldn’t know what will happen tomorrow, there’s basically no tomorrow for them, but they still live happily everyday. Believe me, they are more optimistic than anyone of us!

Promenade's Charity Fellowship posing with the kids from Tenom Thalassaemia Society

Some of you may or may not know, I’m actually a thalassaemia carrier (Thalassaemia Trait in medical term). I will not suffer what they do, I do not need any blood transfusion, I live as an ordinary person as long as I have a balance nutrition everyday. The term thalassaemia trait is actually referring to any carrier which carries the genetic trait of either thalassaemia alpha or beta. As such, thalassaemia carriers are not infected with thalassaemia but in truth, they will have the potential to inherit this disease to their new born child. Put it this way, if two carrier of the same genetic type of thalassaemia have a new born child, there will be a 25% chance where each of the new born children will be inherited with a severe blood disease. However, if one of the parents carries any kind of thalassaemia traits with the other parents having normal hemoglobin, the new born child will have no chance of inheriting any severe blood disease but there will be a 50% where the new born child will be inherited a thalassaemia trait just like how I got it from my dad.

I swear, I had never know this until I’ve done my medical check up about 10 years ago. My family doctor explained the whole situation to me & my family that I might have inherited from one of my family member in either my dad or my mum’s side. We seek high & low within our family for that one person who inherited this to me and apparently, my dad was the one =P.. We never understand the reason why I feel dizzy every time I climb the staircase, and would faint whenever I feel too tired. I guess this is the symptoms huh … Now, we know this is the reason & from there, I know how to take precaution & take care of myself at all times. As much as possible, to have a balance nutrition & normal diet will do. Alternatively, I’m taking the Folic acid supplements for my body to produce red blood cells. Generally, a person with thalassaemia needs folic acid because red blood cells are destroyed faster than normal which causes the body often uses up its stores of this vitamin.