Mumbai's Thalassemic Underprivileged Kids Treated To A Date With Bollywood!

Mumbai's underprivileged children affected with thalassemia, a blood disorder, were treated with a visit by some Bollywood actors Irrfan Khan, Sonali Kulkarni and Sonu Sood. The visit is just ahead of World Thalassemia Day on May 8.

The actors shared some time with the kids and also distributed gifts and watched a film along with them.

Thalassemia - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Future Therapies
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder passed on through parental genes causing the body to produce abnormal hemoglobin.

The function was organised by a voluntary group, 'We Care Trust', that works for the prevention of Thalassemia.

Khan urged people to undergo a test for Thalassemia.

"Everyone, before marriage and during pregnancy, should undergo a test for Thalassemia because if you are infected with this disease then your kids would suffer more than you. Kids usually have a shorter life span and they usually died before the age of 14 or 15. Therefore, it is imperative to undergo a test for Thalassemia," he said on the sidelines of the function.

Thalassemia may Protect Kids from Malaria
In a new study, researchers have found that the blood disease alpha thalassemia may protect kids from malaria.

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder, which affects a person's hemoglobin and cause anemia-low levels of red blood cells.

Besides being a psychological and emotional trauma, the Thalassemia also poses a huge financial burden for the family. The process of removing excessive iron costs dearly to families with limited financial resources.

Iron Overload In Thalassemia - New Cause Discovered
According to researchers at the NIH, iron overload in patients with thalassemia can be caused due to an overproduction of a protein called GDF15.

Sonali Kulkarni hailed the efforts of family members in bringing up children suffering from Thalassemia.

"To bring up such child without making him or her feel that they are a burden on family is very difficult. To look after such kids and to be happy with them is extremely difficult for parents. I feel that parents of these kids deserve a loud clap," Kulkarni said.

Umbilical Cord Blood Banking of Negligible Value: Experts
Several private companies have established umbilical cord blood banks in India saying they would be a life saver for thousands.

An estimated 40 million Indians suffer from this blood disease with more than 8,000 Thalassemia-affected births recorded every year in India.

India also has the highest number, more than 20 million, Thalassemia carriers.

Source-ANI
TAN