Young sickle cell patient undergoes rare treatment

A London hospital has started using a rare technique to treat children with sickle cell disease.

At St George’s Hospital in Tooting, south-west London, medics use an ultrasound machine to find a suitable vein before the patient undergoes an automated red blood cell exchange using healthy donated blood.

It reduces the number of sickle cell crises experienced by people with the disorder and cuts the amount of time spent in hospital.

Neriya,13, has been describing life with sickle cell and learning more about the new treatment.

Video by Anna O'Neill and George Tryfonidis

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