holding a public forum at the Cathedral Hall on Church Street tonight with a view to educating children, parents, teachers and others concerned about the disease.

Entitled Growing up with Sickle Cell Disease, the event will include an animated video and an informative panel discussion. Panelists are: general practitioner Dr. Burton Butterfield; Mrs. Norma Jean Richardson, a physical education teacher; Miss Odia Vassell, a 17-year-old high school student who has the disease; and the parent of a sickle cell anaemia child.

The forum will conclude with panelists answering questions from the audience.

The event begins at 7 p.m., and admission is free.

On Saturday, a free screening for sickle cell anaemia will take place at Cathedral Hall between 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Free literature on sickle cell anaemia will be available at both events this week, as well as throughout the month from the General Post Office, libraries, the Victoria Street health centre and the Ministry of Health.