Youth charity ‘Broken silence’ has announced its winning acts from talent show to raise awareness of sickle cell disease.
The talent show finalists were split into four categories: under 14’s, vocalists, lyricists and dancers and were judged by a panel of experts which included the funky house king, Donae’o.
The annual talent show is run by Broken Silence, a group of young people suffering from the genetic blood disorder sickle cell disease (SCD), who work to raise awareness and understanding of the disease and the devastating effect it has on the lives of people who have it. The group was set up in memory of their friend Leona Dehaney, who sadly died from complications of her sickle cell disease in 2004.
Angie Greaves, Drive Time Presenter of Magic 105.4FM says: ‘Whilst this is something positive and inspirational, it is a poignant and unfortunate reminder of the existence of sickle cell disease. Broken Silence is a fantastic group of people to work with to raise awareness of the disease, particularly amongst the younger generation.’
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is one of the most commonly inherited genetic disorders in the country. It is a genetic blood disorder affecting the red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. Normally red blood cells are donut-shaped and flexible but in people with Sickle Cell their red blood cells become inflexible and ‘sickle’ shaped.
Here are the winners:
Under 14’s: Kronik
Vocalists: Malachi Lewis
Lyricists: M.Jewelz
Dancers: The Dark Elite
By Nadifa Sheikhey