My name is Jackelyn and I have been working with Hemoglobal since June 2010, helping with various research projects and fundraising initiatives. I had the opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka at the beginning of October 2011 to work alongside Dr. Nancy Olivieri, Sir Professor David Weatherall and Dr. Angela Allen at the National Thalassemia Centre in Kurunegala. As someone pursuing a career in medicine, I found the trip a great learning experience as I gained an understanding of the need for medical care and the difference that Hemoglobal's work has made over the past 15 years.
We spent a total of one week on the trip to Sri Lanka, spending 5 days - Monday to Friday at the clinic in Kurunegala. Each day in the clinic, Drs. Olivieri and Weatherall worked with local doctors to see about 20 patients. They conducted physical examinations, made recommendations for treatment and plans for the patient's next visit. I assisted in the process by taking notes on patient charts, extracting important information needed to monitor patients' complications and treatment progress. For example, I took notes on measurements on body iron, markers of sexual maturation and endocrine function.
It was heartbreaking to see young children in the clinic as they came in for blood transfusions or medical examinations. Treatment at the National Thalassemia Clinic has allowed many children to survive into adulthood, but there remains work to be done to ensure patients receive the best possible care. Access to life-saving medications for chelation therapy and tests such as MRIs is often a problem for patients.
Seeing one patient in particular reminded me of the importance of Hemoglobal's continued work in Kurunegala. The patient was a man in his seventies, who with proper chelation therapy had beaten the odds. The patient has been monitored for several years showed very few complications and was pretty healthy. His improvement over the years and successful treatment serve as justification for the staff's hard work and dedication.
As we left Kurunegala, I thanked the clinic staff and local doctors for their support throughout the week. Although we have returned to Toronto, we continue our research with the hundreds of patients from Sri Lanka toward improving medical care for them. Although, it was no vacation, I enjoyed the trip to Sri Lanka. I was able to take in the sights and sounds of the town and it was a great learning experience. I got to see for myself the difference that our work continues to make for patients with thalassemia.
