Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Osei Anthony on April 17, 2009 at 10:30am

This is a difficult situation and I would find it difficult to make a decision.

My take on this before... I wouldn't EVER wish to put anyone through the pain of Sickle Cell. When I was younger I used to think it was my parents' fault. I felt like I was the only one feeling this pain, no one else. As an adult I now see the pain my Mum goes through every time I'm unwell. I'm thankful I'm stronger now and able to help others even when I'm not at my best.

Sometimes I think better the troubles you know... You don't know what we are avoiding by jumping out the way of an issue sometimes.

I wouldn't ever want to 'abort' my child. I wish to avoid someone else having the pain though.

What do others feel?

Osei

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Permalink Reply by Tiffany J. White on April 20, 2009 at 7:11pm

Personally, there is no way knowing the pain of this disease that I would ever want to bring a child in this world to experience what I experience. That why i had genetic counseling with my husband before we had children. I feel there is to much information out there for this to still be happening.

At the same time if you don't know you don't know. My mother always says when you know better you do better. I just feel we need to educate as much people as we can about this disease so that children are not still being born with this disease.

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Permalink Reply by Bukky Ade on April 22, 2009 at 5:57pm

Can you explain what genetic counseling is?

Does your husband have the disease or the trait or anything?

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Permalink Reply by Tiffany J. White on April 24, 2009 at 3:17pm

My husband does not have the trait. So my children just have the trait because I have the full blown disease. Genetic Counseling is just breaking down what the odds are exactly of the child being born with the disease depending on you and your husbands status. Most hematologist can give you more information or u can look up a genetic counselor.

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Permalink Reply by DrD on April 24, 2009 at 3:15am

NO!
Being male, I will not take this decision alone. I would not however be advocating for my wife/partner to have a termination either.
I would not wish sickle cell disease on anyone.
So, I will find out if I and my partner have AS (trait), SS, SC or S and anything else, or AA (by Genetic counseling and testing).
If we are have a high risk of having a child with SC, SS of Sbeta or S and anything else, we will have pre-implantation diagnosis. Making sure it is tested in a test-tube before it was re-implanted into my wife/partner. Only implant the non-SS fertilized eggs.

If we can not guarantee an AA child, we can adopt (not very African/African-American).

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Permalink Reply by Sickle Cell Warrior on April 29, 2009 at 3:32am

Hmmm, really good question.

No, I wouldn't terminate. Having sickle cell is not a death sentence. With proper management, my baby can have a good life. Plus, there is always BMT.

It will by harder for my husband I think, to have a child that is a sickler as well as a wife that has it, but it's not a reason to terminate the pregnancy.

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Permalink Reply by Nina on May 1, 2009 at 4:35pm

No, never. Even knowing what SCD means I think today we have a lot of ways to give this people a better life than in the past. My husband and I have the trait. My first baby has the disease. We think in give him a little brother or sister. The chance of the other one have the same condition is 25%, but if we think only in the chances to the baby have some birth defect or genetic disease nobody will get pregnant. And because my son has SCD we can condemn him to be alone. It's amazing to have a brother or sister to play with.

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Permalink Reply by ADEYEMI FADEKE on July 10, 2009 at 5:54am

Wow, knowing the consequences of having a sickle child, having gone thru the pain,ups and down.
I think we should accomodate whatever can be done to avoid having having kids that ll go thru the same pain we ve been through.We are not as ignorant as our parents. We know,so why bring a child to suffer.

Its not easy,especially if u re like me ,who has let go two serious relationships leading to marriage becos the guys were AS.I am SC
All becos i dont want to have sleepless nights like my parents did,going to hospital every now and then all becos of crises,malaria....
At the same time,am i sure when next love comes my way,it ll be AA.Its difficult,I keep praying a cure should come soon.

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Permalink Reply by Jhana Blackwood on September 12, 2009 at 8:45pm

My first child has Sickle Cell that was diagnosed @ birth; Well, 5 yrs later I got pregnant again; I took care of myself and eat right, but did not get prenatal care or tell anyone I was pregnant until I was 5 months, that way I would not have anyone pressuring me to make decisions. The doctors were upset, because it was too late for testing. My in-laws did not speak to me. I even had one nurse tell me how DARE I get pregnant again when I have one child already with Sickle Cell. My family on the other hand prayed.
Well, 4 months later I gave birth to a healthy baby girl with Sickle Cell trait. She is also the apple of my in-laws eyes.
I can tell you the waiting period after the test felt like a lifetime.

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Permalink Reply by *Shawnii* on June 10, 2010 at 2:23am

No. Never, Yes we go through a lot of things due to our illness but at the same time Im glad my parents decided to have me. I believe a lot of people look at the disease through a scientific standpoint and not a spiritual standpoint. God has plans for everyone, even if you do have sickle cell. So who are we to abort a baby in which he gifted us?

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