No blood transfusions due to antibodies
To cope with her illness, it is important for Fatoumata to receive regular exchange transfusions. During that transfusion, most of the sickle cells are replaced by the donor’s red blood cells. But there’s a catch: A good match is required for a successful transfusion, while there are hundreds of blood group types.
When the blood groups of the donor and the recipient do not match, this can cause serious problems. “I know many patients who are eligible for a blood transfusion, but who cannot receive them because they have developed antibodies after previous blood transfusions that did not match well. This occurs in both the Netherlands and Belgium.”says Fatumata.
