text: The Sickle Cell Society
  11 September 2019, 14:12
  Learn about how Capital XTRA supports The Sickle Cell Society, a national charity supporting young people with sickle cell disease.
  The Sickle Cell Society is a national charity supporting young people with sickle cell disease – a red blood cells disorder most common in people with an African or Caribbean family background.
  Children with sickle cell disease need extra support and care due to the complex nature of the condition.
  The charity runs a helpline and an information service to help young people and their families understand and learn how to manage this life-threatening condition.
  The Sickle Cell Society also runs a range of activities for young people with the condition to help reduce isolation and provide opportunities to make new friends, as well as respite and peer support for the whole family.
  The charity helps children like *Sarah, who is 7 years old and has sickle cell disease.
  When Sarah first attended a session at the charity, she had never met anyone else with sickle cell disease before and she was very anxious and shy.
  An hour into the activity and the change in Sarah was amazing! Sarah’s mum approached the session leaders at the end, delighted that the small group of girls that Sarah was part of, had been talking about their condition and the pain it causes. Sarah’s mum said that “Sarah was astounded that she is not the only one with the condition”.
  By the end of the session, Sarah was a different child to the one who first walked in. She was confident and brave, and no longer stuck to Mum’s side.
  Global’s Make Some Noise is proud to support the charity’s ‘Children’s Activities Project’ which engages children and young people with sickle cell disease in a wide range of creative, educational and confidence-building activities during school holidays, short-breaks, and an annual residential for children aged 8-17.
  All of the charity’s activities for children and young people aim to help them understand and learn how to positively manage this extremely painful and life-threatening condition.
  With your help, we can support The Sickle Cell Society and many more charities across the UK.
  *Young person’s name has been changed to protect their identity.