Sickle cell support group to meet, screen tests for disease detection urged

The Cayman Islands Hospital is hosting a Sickle Cell support group meeting seeking to spread health and awareness on the topic.

The meeting focuses on how to live with the disease and genetics coordinator Joy Merren says despite misconceptions anyone can have the disease.

So she stresses the importance of early screen tests.

“A person has sickle cell trait and they have a child with somebody else who has sickle cell trait, there is a 25 percent risk of having a child with the disease, a 25 percent chance that the child will take the healthy gene from each parent and be fine or 50 percent chance that the child will have the trait,” said Ms. Merren.

The meeting is at 7:30 pm at the Cayman Islands Hospital tomorrow.