In the morning, I read this terrible story of a 3-year-old girl Afifa. She’s not just suffering from major thalassaemia, but she also has the rarest blood group know as Bombay Blood Group. This multiplies the ordeal of this child & her parents.
Both her parents are cousins & they were unaware at the time of their marriage that both of them are patients of minor thalassaemia. It has been reported that only 12 people have this blood group in Pakistan. 6 people are from Karachi & Afifa is one of them. Anyway 3 people have agreed to donate blood to this child.
Bombay Blood Group is the rarest blood group. It was discovered by French haematologist Bhendi in the year 1952. If a Bombay Blood Group recipient is not transfused the blood of a Bombay Blood Group person, it can lead to a haemolytic transfusion reaction that can be fatal and which would ultimately lead to death. Studies reveal that this is due to the absence of the H substance (antigen) in the red cells. The absence of the H substance is attributed to the deficiency of the enzyme fucosyl transferase. The phenotypes of this group lack H antigen in the red cells and have anti-H in the serum.
The bottom line is: before you get married, it’s better to get tested & know what’s wrong with you. Otherwise your child has to pay the price.
Both her parents are cousins & they were unaware at the time of their marriage that both of them are patients of minor thalassaemia. It has been reported that only 12 people have this blood group in Pakistan. 6 people are from Karachi & Afifa is one of them. Anyway 3 people have agreed to donate blood to this child.
Bombay Blood Group is the rarest blood group. It was discovered by French haematologist Bhendi in the year 1952. If a Bombay Blood Group recipient is not transfused the blood of a Bombay Blood Group person, it can lead to a haemolytic transfusion reaction that can be fatal and which would ultimately lead to death. Studies reveal that this is due to the absence of the H substance (antigen) in the red cells. The absence of the H substance is attributed to the deficiency of the enzyme fucosyl transferase. The phenotypes of this group lack H antigen in the red cells and have anti-H in the serum.
The bottom line is: before you get married, it’s better to get tested & know what’s wrong with you. Otherwise your child has to pay the price.
