Fast-growing illness affects hundreds in region - and causes strokes and organ failure if untreated

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Growing up, Tiffany Salako wasn't able to enjoy a normal childhood. She would regularly experience painful episodes, making it hard for her to breathe and walk.

As a baby, she had been diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a genetic blood disorder thought to affect around 15,000 people in the UK, and which is more prevalent in people of Black heritage.

The serious and potentially life-threatening condition is the fastest growing genetic blood disorder, and can cause organ failure, strokes, loss of vision, and death. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community Tiffany, from Oldham, was rushed to hospital on many occasions as a child, after experiencing terrifying episodes known as "crises." But she was unable to receive regular blood transfusions, which could have helped manage her condition, due to the risk of a dangerous build-up of iron in her blood.

Some patients with severe SCD require a complete blood transfusion, known as a red blood cell exchange (RCX), to remove the ’defective’ cells and replace them with healthy cells from donors using a machine.