Group Donates Food Items to Sickle Cell Carriers in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A non-governmental organisation, Nirvana Initiative (NI) in partnership with Hacey Health Initiative has donated cartons of food items to hundreds of people living with sickle cell disease in Rivers State.

The NI sensitised the sickle cell disease victims and relatives on best way to manage the crisis amidst the challenges in the society.

Nirvana Initiative through Sickle Cell Awareness and Health Foundation, held the sensitisation and food donation event at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) where many with sickle cell trait and their parents disclosed their challenges.

A facilitator at the programme, Executive Director of Sickle Cell Awareness and Health Foundation, Mr. Dabata Omubo-Pepple, explained that the gesture by the NGO to reach out to people living with the disease was in commemoration the world sickle cell day, earlier celebrated in June.

Omubo-Pepple, who is a nurse with UPTH, stated: “It is a day set aside to create awareness about the disease, to remind people that the disease is congenic condition and not a contagious disease. It is preventable. Also to remind people with the disease that they can do a lot with their life.”

The nurse further revealed that “the Nirvana Initiative is doing a welfare package. A way of reaching out with people living with sickle cell disease with a welfare package which has to do with food, reminding them that food is important in their day to day and also to support them.”

Revealing her experience with THISDAY at the event, Ms. Somto Omekukwu, a 22 years old lady and a graduate of Plant Science and Biotechnology, said being a sickler has limited her from things she passionately desire to do.

“I have been relatively stable most of my life but it has its challenges. Sometimes one planned something and you woke up not able to do it that day. You learn to manage the challenges and move on with your life.

“I like sports but most time I am not able to do as much as I was to. My parent realised that I am a sickler when I was about a year old and my mum was already pregnant with my little sister who also had sickle cell.

“My immediate younger sister died about five years ago but I have another sister that has sickle cell disease, we were three but one had died”.

Also, relating his experience, Rukvwe Aride, 27 years old male graduate of Biochemistry and Chemistry Technology, recalled how he felt the first time he knew about his status.

Aride, who is a member of National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Rivers State, said: “I felt not really good when I knew about my status because I am wondering why me. We are three in my family: my elder brother is AS, my younger brother AA and I am SS.

“But as time goes on I begin to live with it and felt this is my fate, so I had to work on myself. The crisis usually come when I was much younger because of academic stress but I learned how to control myself, taking a lot of water, vegetables and basically taking my drugs at when due”, Aride added.

THISDAY observed that cartons of food items were distributed to over 200 participants at the sensitisation programme for people with Sickle Cell Disease.