Why create My Hema Circle (MHC)? 

My Hema Circle was conceptualized to respond to the needs of people suffering from a largely unknown illness, but can eventually pose one of the most serious medical problems in the future.

Thalassemia, a rare form of anemia, is a genetic condition that occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough hemoglobin alpha or beta proteins. Red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen throughout the body, requiring the patient to receive lifelong blood transfusions (San Diego Blood Bank, n.d.).

Red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen throughout the body, requiring the patient to receive lifelong blood transfusions.

Thalassemia affects 4.4 out of every 10,000 live births (Smith Y, n.d.). A more serious form of this disease requires a patient to have regular transfusions every three weeks.

These periodic transfusions require various resources such as medical facilities, maintenance medicine to address the side effects of this treatment, and most importantly, the blood supply itself. To have an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood, it is necessary to have a stable base of repeat, voluntary, unpaid blood donors (WHO, 2021)

To have an adequate and reliable supply of safe blood, it is necessary to have a stable base of repeat, voluntary, unpaid blood donors (WHO, 2021)

A big hurdle encountered by most, if not all thalassemia patients is the lack of blood donors at moments when their scheduled transfusion date has arrived.

According to a study in Eastern Saudi Arabia conducted by Albagshi, et al., 2021, "There was a gap between the demand and supply of blood for patients with β-thalassemia major treated at our center. We suggest raising awareness regarding the high demands for fresh red blood cell components in patients with thalassemia major, encouraging voluntary blood donations, enhancing national blood-banking policies, and reducing the fragmentation of blood services to reduce the gap between demand and supply."

As much as possible, transfusions must be regular, never delayed or skipped because serious side effects may happen, even death.

This is why we strive to create My Hema Circle so that a platform would be available for thalassemia patients and their families and friends to find and connect with willing blood donors in time for their next blood transfusion session.

When this tool is available, there will be less burden for thalassemia patients and their carers because they will no longer struggle to find badly needed donors. Good healthy people willing to donate blood will also now have an avenue convenient for them to find those people who desperately need their help.

Basically, the concept is this: patients and donors will register in the platform. The algorithm will match donors and patients according to location, blood type and availability. Both users will have the option to consent to be part of a circle of patient-donors. A patient can have ideally four or more ready donors who can commit to donate every time the transfusion schedule arrives and will be transfused hopefully without delays.

If you are excited by this mission and would like to support it, you can contribute to the development of MHC with your much-appreciated donation here. You can also email us at myhemacircle@gmail.com if you would like to partner, volunteer or send us an encouraging message.

To join the waitlist to be one of the first few to try out the platform, please fill in this form.

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Thank you so much for your support!

References:

Albagshi MH, Saad M, Aljassem AM, Bushehab AA, Ahmed NH, Alabbad MM, Omer N, Alhamad OA, Sultan TA, Bahgat S. Blood Demand and Challenges for Patients With Beta-Thalassemia Major in Eastern Saudi Arabia. Cureus. 2021 Aug 26;13(8):e17470. doi: 10.7759/cureus.17470. PMID: 34603865; PMCID: PMC8475924.

Regional desk review of hemoglobinopathies with an emphasis on thalassemia and accessibility and availability of safe blood and blood products as per these patients’ requirement in South-East Asia under universal health coverage. New Delhi: World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia; 2021. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

San Diego Blood Bank. (n.d.). Thalassemia Warriors Kamila, Ella and Sevey Rely on Blood Donors to Stay Alive. Retrieved from San Diego Blood Bank: https://www.sandiegobloodbank.org/thalassemia-warriors-kamila-ella-and-sevey-rely-blood-donors-stay-alive#:~:text=Thalassemia%2C a rare form of,to receive lifelong blood transfusions.

Smith, Y. (n.d.). Thalassemia Prevalence. Retrieved from News Medical Life Sciences: [https://www.news-medical.net/health/Thalassemia-Prevalence.aspx#:~:text=Thalassemia affects approximately 4.4 out,with no preference for gender](https://www.news-medical.net/health/Thalassemia-Prevalence.aspx#:~:text=Thalassemia affects approximately 4.4 out,with no preference for gender.). [Accessed March 4, 2023]