NATIONAL THALASSAEMIA DAY

Held each year on 19th October 2022

Below is an interview PP gave as Patron of the UKTS, live on LGR to promote the day itself and to talk about the Charity’s work.

Fun Run In Aid Of Thalassaemia

Peter completed the 5K course in just over 40 minutes on Sunday 8th May which is International Thalassaemia Day and the combined total raised by all the runners is now in excess of £10,000

All the runners are trying to raise awareness about the condition of Thalassaemia, by running 5K on behalf of ukts.org. The United Kingdom Thalassaemia Organisation.

Blood is essential for maintaining the health and life of the human body. Blood is a mixture of a liquid called plasma about 55% and solids 45% blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets). Blood has various important functions such as supplying oxygen to cells and tissues, providing essential nutrients to cells, and glucose, removing waste materials, protecting the body from diseases and infections, and regulating body temperature. Any abnormalities, disorders and diseases of the blood can damage the many functions that the blood performs. There are various blood disorders, such as blood clotting, blood cancers, sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia.

People with thalassaemia produce either no or too little haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Haemoglobin is made up of four subunits: two subunits of alpha-globin and two subunits of beta-globin. Alpha-globin is a component of both fetal haemoglobin, which is active only before birth and in the newborn period, and adult haemoglobin, which is active throughout the rest of life.

5K Fun Run 2022