A Putney mum who almost died as a baby has made it her mission to help others with the same disease as her.

Chanel Taylor, 33, of Cortis Road, underwent a blood transfusion at nine months old when doctors said it was a miracle she survived.

She was diagnosed with a rare condition called sickle cell disease (SCD), which means red blood cells cannot carry enough oxygen around the body, sometimes leading to tiredness and shortness of breath and a greater risk of serious infections.

Ms Taylor was rushed off to Queen Mary Hospital, in Roehampton Lane, that day when she underwent a major procedure at less than a year old.

What followed was a childhood in and out of hospital, and Chanel remembers the frustration of often being out of breath when playing other children and crying because 'it felt like there was ice in my fingertips'.

Now a mum-of-one and a youth worker, Chanel is as an SCD advocate and is encouraging more bone marrow and stem cell donors from the black, Asian and minority ethnic community (BAME) with mixed heritage to join the worldwide register.

She said: "It means so much to me because in the BAME community we don’t really speak about the need for more black blood donors, or donors of ethnic minority to come forward to give blood. I guess the community may be scared to talk about it.

"I have friends and other sickle cell warriors, brothers, sisters, that suffer from sickle cell and I think collectively, together, we need to raise the awareness of promoting more black blood donors to be registered so that the sickle community can also benefit from the blood transfusions. Not just sickle cell patients, but other BAME communities as well."

Chanel recently featured in The Power of One photography exhibition at City Hall, staged by Team Margot, which highlighted how people's lives have been changed by stem cell and bone marrow donation.

She also founded a community organisation called ‘Unsickle My Cells,’ which raises awareness about SCD.

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