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 * Appeal for more donors with rare blood types in Singapore


APPEAL FOR MORE DONORS WITH RARE BLOOD TYPES IN SINGAPORE

Details
2021 Sep 08
FATWGP

SINGAPORE - When Mrs Cynthia Koh's middle child, Kyler, was admitted to the
National University Hospital (NUH) in 2018 at eight months old, he had a
persistent fever for days.

It was only after doctors noticed Kyler's skin was a yellowish hue that they did
a blood test, revealing he had beta thalassaemia major.

It is a blood disorder that prevents sufferers from producing beta-globin, one
of the sub-components of haemoglobin.

Having this blood disorder can cause severe anaemia, since haemoglobin is
responsible for delivering oxygen to the body's cells. Severe anaemia can, in
turn, lead to death if the patient does not receive blood transfusions.

Kyler, who is now three years old, needs to undergo monthly blood transfusions
to stay alive. And because he has Rhesus (Rh) negative blood, a rare blood
group, blood donation is even more vital for him.

Last year, less than 2 per cent of the Singapore resident population donated
blood and only 1.3 per cent of the donor population had Rh negative blood.

The Singapore Red Cross, which recruits blood donors, is calling for more
people, especially those with Rh negative blood, to come forward.

To care for Kyler, his parents, Mr Calvin Koh and Mrs Cynthia Koh, take turns to
take their son to NUH for his monthly transfusion, taking time off from work
when necessary. Mr Koh, 30, is a technician and Mrs Koh, 31, is a part-time
administrator.

The couple have two other children, a one-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy.

Referring to Kyler, Mrs Koh said: "When he was a baby, we were always by his
side. That's why he feels (the blood transfusion) is something normal that he
has to do every month."

Kyler's doctor, Dr Koh Pei Lin, who specialises in paediatric haematology and
oncology, noted that these blood transfusions will result in the accumulation of
iron in the body.

The NUH senior consultant at the Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children's
Medical Institute said patients will need to take iron chelator medication to
help the body get rid of excess iron. She added: "This is important because iron
accumulates in the body and can cause organ damage to vital organs such as the
heart and liver."

Kyler's blood type is O-negative and he can receive only O-negative blood.
Receiving blood from someone of an incompatible blood type can result in the
recipient's immune system producing antibodies that attack the new blood cells.

Software engineer Lim Huey Bing, 52, also has O-negative blood. She has donated
blood 52 times as she knows how difficult it can be to find a donor with a
compatible blood type.

Ms Lim, whose mother was saved by a blood transfusion after giving birth in the
1970s, said: "I heard from my family they had to go to the army camp to get
O-negative blood because it was so rare.

"If people like me don't step up, where will they get the blood from?"

On donating blood, Mr Benjamin William, chief executive of the Singapore Red
Cross, said: "This is especially crucial for patients like Kyler, who require
regular blood transfusion to sustain their lives.

"Even if you are unsure of your blood group, we encourage you to make an
appointment to donate blood in the next few weeks. Your blood donation will help
to save lives."

Beta thalassaemia major: Symptoms and treatment options

Beta thalassaemia major, a chronic blood disorder that causes severe anaemia,
can develop in a child if both parents are beta thalassaemia carriers.

This means each parent carries one abnormal gene. Beta thalassaemia carriers
feel well and do not have any symptoms of anaemia.

Parents who are both beta thalassaemia carriers have a one in four chance of
having a child with beta thalassaemia major, which happens if the child inherits
both the abnormal beta thalassaemia genes.

He may display symptoms typical of severe anaemia, such as looking tired,
feeding poorly and being breathless.

To diagnose beta thalassaemia major, a special blood test called haemoglobin
electrophoresis - which measures the different types of haemoglobin in the blood
- is conducted.

Parents who know they are thalassaemia carriers can go for genetic testing
during pregnancy. The diagnosis, which requires chorionic villus sampling, or
testing placenta tissue, can be made as early as in the first 10 to 12 weeks of
gestation.

Dr Koh Pei Lin, who specialises in paediatric haematology and oncology at the
National University Hospital, said the monthly cost of treatment and blood
transfusion is dependent on the course of treatment, number of blood tests and
the amount of blood needed for the patient. The senior consultant added: "These
may differ on a monthly basis depending on the patient's condition."

Three-year-old Kyler Koh has beta thalassaemia major, and his family pays about
$100 to $300 monthly for treatment, after government subsidies.

Currently, the only available cure for beta thalassaemia major is a successful
bone marrow transplant from a human leukocyte antigen-matched donor.

But there are still risks, such as infections and graft-versus-host disease.
Gene therapy is also a potential cure but it has not been approved for clinical
use.

Source: Sunday Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for
reproduction.

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