Children Who Come and Go

In Africa, The families affected by this crippling disease thought it to be a curse of the spirits. The children afflicted with the condition were thought to die to drive out evil spir- its from the family to protect them from the evil curse. They were called ogbanjes, which meant "children who come and go". They did chants and special dances to drive the evil spirits away. Sickle cell anemia (disease) is an inherited blood cell anom- aly that links people geographically who are primarily of Af- rican, Mediterranean, or Southwest Asian ancestry, and its effects are widespread. The effects of the genetic disorder sickle cell anemia may be debilitating, restrictive and life threatening.