Residents of the West End/Long Bay community, including personnel from Viceroy, and members and supporters of the United Front Party, joined in a 5.5km and a 10km walk last weekend. The walk, which began and ended at Klassique Restaurant, on the West End road, was a fund-raising and awareness event for gun-shot victim and sickle cell patient, Saleem Brooks of West End.
The youngster, who was wounded in the shoulder in a shooting incident at South Hill some nine months ago, returned to Anguilla on February 7 from Puerto Rico where he had been receiving treatment. He reportedly developed complications due to his sickle cell condition.
The Saturday March 3rd fund-raising walk and breakfast focused on sickle cell disease awareness. One of the main organisers, assisted by a number of other persons, was Cardigan Connor, a physio-therapist at Cap Juluca and recently-announced AUF candidate in the West End/Long Bay constituency. Mr. Connor is no stranger to sickle cell disease having lost a sister at a young age in England.
Minister of Social Development, Edison Baird, Elected Representative for Road North, commended all who participated in the walk to raise awareness of sickle cell disease which Saleem had been suffering from since he was two years old. “Sickle cell disease affects many Anguillians, and many other Caribbean people who trace their ancestry to Africa,” Mr. Baird said in an address to the gathering after the walk. “It is a genetically-based disease and is not contagious. In other words, it cannot be passed on by touch and sexual intercourse.”
The Minister said the walk demonstrated that the participants cared for persons, such as Saleem, who were in need of financial assistance to improve their standard of health. And he took the opportunity to call on all young people in Anguilla to turn away from violence. “I call upon them to cooperate with the Police in solving various gun-related crimes and to stand in opposition to any act of violence,” he added.
Dr. Rhona Hodge gave a detailed presentation on sickle cell disease. She said it was a group of disorders affecting the haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to all parts of the body; and she outlined the various symptoms and complications caused by the condition.
“Children with sickle cell anemia and adults, as well, need to keep their immunisations up-to-date to prevent illness, and some patients may need to receive antibiotics for any infections,” Dr. Hodge continued. “If you and partner do not have haemoglobin S, you won’t have a child with sickle cell amenia. However, if both of you have haemoglobin S, one-fourth of your children have the chance of having sickle cell anemia.”
Dr. Hodge described how sickle cell anemia is developed and said there was prevention, treatment and a rare cure for the disease “far from Anguilla.” She added: “What we need to do in Anguilla is to try to decrease the incidence of sickle cell anemia by making sure that your partner is tested so that you may know whether the sickle cell trait is present or not.”
Saleem Brooks was grateful to his family and friends for their support. He was also appreciative of the support of all those persons who participated in the fund-raising walk and breakfast events.
