Hemoglobin, an oxygen carrying protein in blood, is sometime altered
             in people causing interruptions in the circulation of blood. This is known as
             Sickle-Cell Anemia. In the United States, Sickle-Cell Anemia is found
             mostly in blacks. About 1 in 400 blacks in the United States have the
             disorder. In Africa, and parts of the Middle East, Sickle-Cell Anemia can be
             found, not just in the United States.
             In infants, it only takes about 6 months after birth for symptoms of
             Sickle-Cell Anemia to appear. These symptoms include the following:
             swelling of hands and feet; and enlargement of heart and abdomen. Sexual
             maturation may be delayed in the adolescence stage of life. Later in life, leg
             ulcers and infections can occur due to blood flow disturbance caused by the
             Sickle-Cell Anemia gets its name from the sickle, a sharp, crescent-
             shaped tool. When a person has Sick-Cell Anemia, their red blood cells
             change in shape due to the altered hemoglobin in the blood. When the
             oxygen in the blood cells is reduced for any reason, the cells become oddly
             shaped. They are shaped like a sickle.
             This blood disease is inherited from the parents, much like other traits.
             The gene for Sickle-Cell Anemia is codominant with the gene for normal
             blood hemoglobin. When the heterozygous form occurs, that person is said
             to be a Sickle-Call Carrier. He or she has the gene for the Sickle-Cell
             Anemia, but does not show the symptoms of the disorder. Sickle-Cell
             carriers are partially resistant to Malaria.
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