Sickle cell treatment now available at Kingston General Hospital

New treatment options are now available at Kingston General Hospital for local patients living with sickle cell disease.

The inherited blood disorder causes red blood cells to become misshapen, which can trigger severe pain episodes and lead to serious complications throughout the body.

“Sickle cell disease is a multi-organ disorder” said Lanre Tunji-Ajayi, president and CEO of Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario.

“It affects every organ in the body — the lungs, the heart, the kidney, the liver. So you have damage to vital organs of the body and sometimes it will lead to premature death.”