By Ofentse Mahlaola,
It all started with me chewing a sock, I did this everyday and it felt normal. I would sit in my bedroom and chew clothes while I was studying or writing my homework.
It was on a Monday morning when my mother came into my bedroom and found me chewing a cloth. She was so disturbed and immediately disciplined me as a parent, but this didn’t stop me from chewing my socks. I ignored her and kept doing the same thing over and over again. A couple of weeks down the line after school, I felt dizzy, weak and looked pale. My parents noticed this and took me to the nearest hospital.
I was very sick and scared. When I arrived at the hospital, the doctor examined my body and took blood tests, and was admitted for further observation. The doctor discovered that I had a disease called anaemia – a medical condition in which somebody has too few red cells in their blood, making them look pale and feel weak.
I was made to understand that this was caused by low iron in my body. The low iron caused me to have pica – this makes a person to eat or chew things like soap, chalk, clothes etc.
I was given a blood transplant. Today, I am healthy and active. My iron is high, and my pica has decreased. The blood transplant saved my life.
