Sickle Cell Mentors

WORKSHEET

Vocabulary

1. Sickle cell
   A disease that changes the shape of red blood cells and causes severe pain.

2. Condition
   A medical problem or illness.

3. Mentor
   A person who gives advice and support to someone else.

4. Encouragement
   The act of giving someone confidence or hope.

5. Support
   Help given to someone, especially during difficult times.

6. Program
   A planned service or activity.

7. Service
   A system that provides help or work to people.

8. Consultant
   A doctor who is a specialist in a particular area of medicine.

9. Knowledge
   Information or understanding about a subject.

10. Advice
    Guidance or recommendations offered to help someone.

---

Grammar Points

1. Present Simple Tense
   Used for facts and general truths (e.g., "Sickle cell is a disease that affects millions of people").

2. Present Continuous Tense
   Used for ongoing actions (e.g., "They are sharing tips to help manage the condition").

3. Past Simple Tense
   Used to talk about completed actions (e.g., "Marilyn was diagnosed as a child").

4. Relative Clauses
   Used to give extra information (e.g., "Mentors are people who offer advice and support").

5. Modals (can, should, must)
   Used to express ability, necessity, or advice (e.g., "Mentors can help young people feel less alone").

6. First Conditional
   Used to talk about possible future events (e.g., "If patients join the program, they will receive support").

---

Activities

Activity 1
Multiple Choice

Instructions
Circle the correct answer for each question.

1. What is sickle cell?
   a) A type of virus
   b) A disease that changes the shape of red blood cells
   c) A type of treatment

2. What do mentors in the program do?
   a) Teach patients how to drive
   b) Give advice and encouragement to young people with sickle cell
   c) Provide medical treatments

3. Which organizations run the mentoring program?
   a) The NHS and the Sickle Cell Society
   b) Local schools and hospitals
   c) Private health companies

4. Why do doctors want to expand the program?
   a) It helps patients feel supported outside the hospital
   b) It reduces the need for medical treatments
   c) It saves money on healthcare

Activity 2
Mentor Discussion

Instructions
In pairs, write down 4 ways mentors can help someone feel less alone.Take turns with your partner to share each idea from your list with the class.

Activity 3
Fill in the Blanks

Instructions
Use the words in the box to complete the sentences about the mentoring program.

advice	mentor	program	support	hospital

1. The mentoring ______ helps young people with sickle cell.

2. A ______ is someone who gives advice and encouragement.

3. The program helps patients feel better outside the ______.

4. Mentors give ______ to help young people manage their condition.

5. Rachel offers emotional ______ to Marilyn during their meetings.

---

Questions

1. What is one way the program helps people feel less alone?

2. What does Rachel tell Marilyn to do in winter?

3. How do you think mentoring programs like this can help young people?

---

TRANSCRIPT
Sickle Cell Mentors

NARRATOR:
Sickle cell is a disease that affects millions of people around the world. It changes the shape of red blood cells, causing very bad pain and other problems. Living with sickle cell can be difficult, but help is available to manage the condition. 

Marilyn is 23 years old. She is one of about 17,000 people in the UK living with sickle cell. She says being diagnosed as a child can make you feel lonely and different from others.

SOUNDBITE - Marilen Maddy:
If I would have to wear extra layers, the children in the class would be like, oh, why are you always wearing your coat? Why are you always wearing your jacket? So it was just tough feeling left out, feeling like an outcast, feeling like you don't belong.

NARRATOR:
Marilyn has a mentor named Rachel, who also has sickle cell. Rachel gives her advice and encouragement through a special program.  This program is run by the NHS, the UK's National Health Service, and the Sickle Cell Society. 

UPSOUND:
“Obviously, winter's coming, so make sure you wrap up warm.”

NARRATOR:
They meet to share warm drinks and helpful tips.

SOUNDBITE - Marilen Maddy:
“When I met Rachel and we had our first session, we just, we were bouncing off of each other and everything that she went through as a child, I went through.”

NARRATOR:
The program matches young people aged 10 to 24 with mentors who also have sickle cell. These mentors know what it feels like and can offer support.

SOUNDBITE - Rachel Simpson:
“I just wanted to make sure that someone else knew that they had someone there for them, that they weren't going through it alone, that I knew what they were going through and that they can talk to me.”

NARRATOR:
The service helps patients feel better outside of the hospital. Doctors at a large hospital in London say the success has led to the program spreading to other parts of the city. 

SOUNDBITE - Dale Sevar:
“Personally, I've had patients coming back to my clinic who have told me the benefits that they received from the programme, including improved knowledge around Sickle.”

NARRATOR:
By sharing stories and advice, services like this are helping people with sickle cell feel more supported—showing that no one has to deal with this alone.