A nurse at The Cumberland Infirmary is helping people with Sickle Cell disease with his frequent blood donations.

Johnny Nyaaba, joined the trust after moving from Ghana last year, and his looking to raise awareness of the illness as part of Sickle Cell Awareness month. 

Anyone can be born with Sickle Cell disease, but it is most common among people from a black Caribbean or black African background.

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Mr Nyaaba said: "I gave blood for the first time in this country in October last year during Black History Month

"I saw on social media earlier last year that NHS Blood and Transplant needed more Black blood donors to come forward to help save lives and how Black blood donors could especially help people living with sickle cell.

“After learning this I spearheaded the Black excellence campaign in collaboration with my Trust. I led a session to highlight the need for more Black donors to save lives.

“On October 8 last year, I volunteered to donate blood, A few days later I received a letter from NHSBT disclosing that I had a rare but important blood subtype – Ro.

"I was taken aback because I have donated blood several times in Ghana but I never knew of a Ro blood subtype despite being a nurse. I am ‘O positive’ that is all I have ever known about my blood group and type. This subtype, Ro, is apparently crucial to helping Black sickle cell patients.

“About a fortnight later, I was informed my blood was released to Leeds Teaching Hospital for patient use, and I felt proud about that - knowing that I have helped save another soul.

“I made my second and third donations in January and May this year and I have now made the pledge to donate blood regularly and I will continue to promote the movement to friends, and any audience I can get."

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People with the disorder produce unusually shaped red blood cells that can cause excruciating pain and other problems because they do not live as long as healthy blood cells and can block blood vessels.

All patients presenting with acute sickle pain should receive initial analgesia within 30 minutes and have achieved good pain relief within two hours.