Working Mom Battles With Sickle Cell Anemia

Vanessa Baffour-Singletary sickle cell anemia LifeSouth blood transfusion bone marrow transplant

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Sep 19, 12:56 am

Photo: (Photo : ARIF ALI/AFP via Getty Images)

Life for 28-year-old Vanessa Baffour-Singletary has been tough. Apart from being a wife and a mother, she has a career in educational policy. She balances all three while battling a serious illness called sickle cell anemia every day.

Baffour-Singletary said that there are days when she feels fine, and the pain suddenly hits. She added that it feels like someone is hammering on her body in different places. Baffour-Singletary explained that their pain is invisible, and sometimes people do not believe them.

The sickle cell anemia that Baffour-Singletary is dealing with at present is a genetic blood disease, according to Mayo Clinic. For those like her who have it, their red blood cells do not form into a disc shape; instead, they are crescent-shaped. This abnormality in the shape of red blood cells causes significant pain. They will face several ailments as a result, including their organs failing.

Sickle cell anemia patients need several blood transfusions

Baffour-Singletary said that for her, it is in a lot of her joints. She explained that the blood is not flowing to her joints. She already had a hip replacement and is taking her medication to ease the pain. She added that there are some chemotherapy drugs that she can take for treatment.

According to Baffour-Singletary, the pain often leads her to stay in the hospital. She has already been hospitalized more than four times this year alone. People with sickle cell anemia can also expect to need several blood transfusions. They also possibly have to face even bone marrow transplants.

When the latter is the only solution possible for sickle cell anemia patients, that is where the community can help them. More people need to donate blood and be tested to see if they match patients dealing with sickle cell anemia. That way, they can assist with bone marrow transplants.

One guy who helps sickle cell anemia patients in the United States is James Skahn. He currently works with LifeSouth, a community blood center that ensures blood is supplied to local hospitals and helps find matches for bone marrow transplants and blood transfusions.

Sickle cell anemia affects many African Americans

Skahn said they try to pair people with similar antigen profiles in their blood with people who need the transfusion. LifeSouth noted that sickle cell anemia affects African Americans at higher rates than other communities, as one out of every 365 African Americans is born with the disease.

According to LifeSouth, it impacts between 90,000 to 100,000 Americans, with African Americans making up roughly 70,000 of those cases. Baffour-Singletary told News4Jax that she hopes her journey with sickle cell anemia educates people and encourages others to help make a difference.