The NHS is urgently calling for black donors to give blood to help people with sickle cell disease as the demand for donations reaches record levels.
About 55% of black people have a Ro blood type, compared to 2% of the wider population.
· About 15,000 people in the UK have the disease
· It is inherited from both parents, who pass on a particular gene
· It is possible to carry the gene without having the disease
· Nearly 300 babies are born with it each year in the UK
· A simple blood test will show whether someone has it
· Children with sickle cell are at greater risk of a stroke
· Other symptoms can include serious infections, anaemia and tiredness
Source: Sickle Cell Society / NHS