Music Changes Lives!

Silence Broken X-factor style!

When you lose a friend to a fatal disease, most times you lose hope and strength to live but to friends of  Leona Dehaney who died of sickle cell anaemia in 2004 at a tender age of 18 this was a life changing moment.

“Sickle cell anemia is a disease in which your body produces abnormally shaped red blood cells. The cells are shaped like a crescent or sickle. The sickle cells get stuck in blood vessels, blocking blood flow. This can cause pain and organ damage” MedlinePlus

Friends Cherelle Augustine, Nordia James, Marsha Motherstill and Edward Maughan, started a campaign to raise awareness of the blood disease, and also raise funds to help sufferers and medical research into it’s cure.

Show time: Broken Silence Talent show 2009

The campaign was code named ‘Broken Silence’ a talent show which has grown from humble beginnings of four ambitious friends determined to educate the young generation about sickle cell to a full blown charity which runs the talent show annually.

In July 2006 the first ever Broken Silence Talent show auditions opened their doors to a range of talented young men and women from all backgrounds judged in different catergories, solo artists, groups and dancers.

‘The Dark Elite’ 2009 Contestants

‘Retaliation’ dance contestants 2008

‘Protocol Dance Company’ dance contestants 2008

After the auditions process the contestants look up to the final show which has always been hosted at Brent town hall in Wembley where those who impressed the Broken Silence judges are put through and judged by celebrity judges who for the past years have included Radio personalities, Actors and Musicians.

‘Over the past four years, Broken Silence have entertained over 2,800 people and raised over £17,000. The money has provided a commemorative plaque for Leona Dehaney’s grave, Nintendo Wiis for children’s’ wards of two London hospitals, a DVD player and money toward a blood exchange pump for Central Middlesex Hospital’s daycare Unit and £1,000 donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital to aid research into Chronic Blood Disorders and Blood Cancer’

The charity has also been inthe UK paliament to advocate for the use of Transcranial Doppler Scanning(TCD) guidance for children with sickle cell disease which has been proven to help prevent strokes.

Broken Silence at the UK Parliament

“Lord Smith of Clifton, who was himself a trustee of the Stroke Association, first met with Broken Silence in 2008 and champions the work they have done to date on highlighting the need for TCD scanning “Having experienced a stroke myself, I know the effect it can have on your everyday life. It’s distressing to think of young people with sickle cell disease having a stoke, particularly if the risk can be reduced by receiving the right treatment… I hope that these new standards will be implemented as quickly as possible”

This just goes to prove that if you can do anything if you put your mind to it, as the Broken Silence original 4 have demonstrated. You can reach people from different backgrounds, ages, races and gender through a music talent show and lives can be changed tremendously.

For more information on how to break the silence or how to fund Broken Silence click here

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