Story

Cianna’s Smile was founded by the chairperson Hayley King and was registered as a charity in May 2017. After her daughter Cianna (who has Sickle Cell Anaemia) experienced a traumatic admission at their local hospital, Hayley felt that there was a lack of awareness of the condition in the medical profession and no local support for families affected by it.

Sickle Cell Anaemia is a life-threatening genetic blood disorder that causes many complications such as; children being at high risk of having strokes, blindness, organ failure, Pulmonary Hypertension, Acute chest syndrome, Sickle Cell Crisis (this is when the sickle cells cause a blockage in a blood vessel resulting in severe pain and risk of complications) and more. It is estimated that there are approximately 250,000 carriers of the Sickle Cell gene and over 15,000 with Sickle Cell Anaemia in the UK.

Our mission

To offer hope for those with Sickle Cell who feel isolated and victimised, to focus on breaking the myths and stigmas attached to Sickle Cell, to educate about Sickle Cell whilst offering a voice that is heard to increase awareness and empathy towards those affected by Sickle Cell conditions.

Our aims

The overall aim for our projects is to increase support for those affected by Sickle Cell conditions, to increase awareness of the conditions in order to reduce social isolation, decrease risk of behavioural and mental health complications and improve quality of life for those affected within our community.

In the short term, our aims are to:

Organise events in 2020 like 2019 Increase public interaction online to get Sickle Cell known more widely and attract volunteers and corporate assistance Get more beneficiaries and expand into other areas such as London and Hampshire.

In the long term, our aims are to

In 5 to 10 years have our own building for events and a base for volunteers Increase geographical area, ultimately become a national charity Assist research into Sickle Cell (medical research companies are now doing some such as Novartis) Educate people into how they can prevent symptoms and the importance of taking care of themselves Research into how nutritionist can help with Sickle Cell Create a book for adolescents to read when transitioning from paediatrics Fund counselling sessions for Sickle Cell patients

How do we spend your money?

We are dedicated to making a difference and committed to making sure all donations go directly to our cause which is why our organisation is run solely by volunteers. All donations are used to fund the charitable activities we organise to support families affected by Sickle Cell conditions and continue to raise awareness and educate our community about the condition and how it affects people.

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