So, I pushed through my Leaving Cert, convinced I was fatigued from school and the stomach pains were just anxiety, even though I didn’t feel anxious. I had two copies of the C282Y gene, meaning I had homozygous hereditary haemochromatosis,” Kelly says. You may not look sick and put your symptoms down to stress or a busy lifestyle, but haemochromatosis can creep up quietly and cause serious damage if it’s missed. “Once normal iron levels are re-established, they can be maintained by periodic blood removal (2-5 times per year, depending on the individual). During this maintenance phase, if eligible, blood can be donated through the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.”About haemochromatosisHereditary haemochromatosis is the most common genetic disorder in Ireland.
