New Video Series on Living With Thalassaemia by CDC & CAF

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and TIF´s Member Cooley´s Anemia Foundation (CAF) have announced the launch of a new video series highlighting the story of Aaron Cheng, a physician in training with thalassaemia.

Aaron shares his experience growing up with thalassaemia and provides tips for others on how to manage the condition while living their best life, in four videos about important aspects of this haemoglobin disorder.

The Videos In Detail:

Aaron Cheng’s family learned he had thalassaemia when he was 8 months old. In the videos, Aaron shares how he learned about thalassaemia and overcame many challenges in managing his disorder. Aaron also shares how his disease influenced his passion to become a physician.

1. Learning About Thalassemia: Learning about thalassaemia can be challenging for a family, because of the variety of testing and treatments that people with the disorder are faced with throughout their lifetime. In this video, Aaron shares how his family learned about his diagnosis.
2. Transition from Pediatric to Adult Thalassemia Care: As children with thalassaemia move into young adulthood, they take on more responsibility for managing their blood disorder and its treatment. This time is called transition. In this video, Aaron shares how he transitioned and took more responsibility for managing thalassaemia as a college student and also during medical school.
3. Managing Transfusions and Chelation: Many people with thalassaemia require frequent blood transfusions as a part of treatment. They also may require chelation, a treatment that helps prevent iron overload in the organs. In this video, Aaron shares how he prepares for transfusions, stays on track with his treatments, and balances thalassaemia treatment with his busy life.
4. Living with Thalassaemia: Living with thalassaemia can present many challenges, but it does not have to define one’s life. In this video, Aaron shares his tips for successfully living with thalassaemia and what other people can do to help people with thalassaemia, as well as his passion for becoming a physician.

Watch the Full Videos HERE.