World Thalassaemia Day is observed on May 8 every year. It is observed to help increase awareness about the genetic condition. Thalassaemia is a blood disorder in which the body has less haemoglobin than normal. Patients with thalassaemia suffer from anaemia due to low levels of haemoglobin. Every year, several events are organised on this day to raise awareness about this disorder but this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been initiatives that are spreading awareness virtually. Several celebrities including the likes of Hrithik Roshan, Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha among others have taken to social media to post about the same. World Thalassaemia Day 2020: Know Theme, Significance And More About The Blood Disorder Disease.

Celebs took to Instagram to share pictures of themselves upside down. With the hashtag #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke, these Bollywood stars revealed the reason for going upside down in their pictures and said, "Blood bags are turned ‘ulta’ to help Thalassemia Major patients stay alive." Actors such as Sonakshi, Hrithik and others shared the posts revealing that they are trying to raise funds for patients with this condition amid the pandemic. Sharing his picture, Hrithik wrote, "Today on 8th May, World Thalassemia Day, I am taking this challenge to create awareness about Thalassemia Warriors. These Warriors are fighting a blood disorder, that if not dealt with through professional medical help, can reduce life expectancy, impact physical growth and create bone deformities. These patients need blood transfusions every 2-4 weeks to slow down the deadly effects of Thalassemia Major."

The challenge was extended by Kunal Kapoor to Hrithik and Riteish who took it up and shared their posts creating awareness about the condition. Check out celebs who posted about the same here. Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan Encourage the People of India About the Importance of COVID-19 Testing.

Hrithik Roshan:

 

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Blood bags are turned ‘ulta’ to help Thalassemia Major patients stay alive. So, today on World Thalassemia Day, I’m going 'ulta' to support the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke campaign Today on 8th May, World Thalassemia Day, I am taking this challenge to create awareness about Thalassemia Warriors. These Warriors are fighting a blood disorder, that if not dealt with through professional medical help, can reduce life expectancy, impact physical growth and create bone deformities. These patients need blood transfusions every 2-4 weeks to slow down the deadly effects of Thalassemia Major. You can help create awareness by posting your ‘ulta’ picture and challenging friends to do the same. Be a part of the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke campaign. Visit https://thewishingfactory.org/ to learn more. @thewishingfactory @kettoindia #WorldThalessimiaDay #BloodTransfusion #TogetherForEachOther

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Kunal Kapoor:

 

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Blood bags are turned ‘ulta’ to help Thalassemia Major patients stay alive. So, today on World Thalassemia Day, I’m going 'ulta' to support the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke campaign Today on 8th May, World Thalassemia Day, I am taking this challenge to create awareness about Thalassemia Warriors. These Warriors are fighting a blood disorder, that if not dealt with through professional medical help, can reduce life expectancy, impact physical growth and create bone deformities. These patients need blood transfusions every 2-4 weeks to slow down the deadly effects of Thalassemia Major. You can help create awareness by posting your ‘ulta’ picture and challenging friends to do the same. I invite @bachchan @hrithikroshan @farahkhankunder @riteishd to post their ‘ulta’ image, be part of the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke campaign. Visit https://thewishingfactory.org/ to learn more. @thewishingfactory @kettoindia #WorldThalessimiaDay #BloodTransfusion #TogetherForEachOther

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Riteish Deshmukh:

 

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Thank you @kunalkkapoor for inviting me to join this campaign. Blood bags are turned ‘ulta’ to help Thalassemia Major patients stay alive. So, today on World Thalassemia Day, I’m going 'ulta' to support the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke campaign Today on 8th May, World Thalassemia Day, I am taking this challenge to create awareness about Thalassemia Warriors. These Warriors are fighting a blood disorder, that if not dealt with through professional medical help, can reduce life expectancy, impact physical growth and create bone deformities. These patients need blood transfusions every 2-4 weeks to slow down the deadly effects of Thalassemia Major. You can help create awareness by posting your ‘ulta’ picture and challenging 3 friends to do the same. I invite @geneliad @mushtaqshiekh @boman_irani @ashishchowdhryofficial to post their ‘ulta’ image, be part of the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke campaign. Visit https://thewishingfactory.org/ to learn more. @thewishingfactory @ketto #WorldThalessimiaDay #BloodTransfusion #TogetherForEachOther

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Sonakshi Sinha:

 

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Wondering why my picture is ‘ulta’? Because blood bags are turned ‘ulta’ to help Thalassemia Major patients stay alive and we are going to raise funds for them during these uncertain times! Today on 8th May, World Thalassemia Day, I am taking the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke challenge to raise funds for patients who have lost their savings during the lockdown and cannot afford their next transfusion. They need transfusions every 2-4 weeks to slow down the deadly effects of Thalassemia Major. While the blood bags are provided free, they still need upto INR 5,000 each month for other crucial expenses. You can help by posting your ‘ulta’ picture and challenging 3 friends to do the same. To donate simply click on the link in @thewishingfactory bio. Your donations will be matched by Zydus Healthcare Ltd, multiplying the impact you can make! Together, we can help the NGO - The Wishing Factory - support 100 patients transfusions for the next 6 months. I invite @iamhumaq, @fukravarun and @jacquelinef143 to post their ‘ulta’ image, be part of the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke campaign, donate and encourage more people to donate for this cause.

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Huma Qureshi:

 

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Thank you @aslisona for tagging me ... I woke up late but was going to do this for sure 😊 Are you wondering why my picture is ‘ulta’? It’s to raise money for blood transfusions, where blood bags are turned ‘ulta’ to help Thalassemia Major patients stay alive.” Today on 8th May, World Thalassemia Day, I am taking the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke challenge to raise funds for patients who have lost their savings during the lockdown and cannot afford their next transfusion. They need transfusions every 2-4 weeks to slow down the deadly effects of Thalassemia Major. While the blood bags are provided free, they still need upto INR 5,000 each month for other crucial expenses. You can help by posting your ‘ulta’ picture and challenging 3 friends to do the same. To donate simply click on the link in @thewishingfactory bio. Your donations will be matched by Zydus Healthcare Ltd, multiplying the impact you can make! Together, we can help the NGO - The Wishing Factory - support 100 patients transfusions for the next 6 months. I invite @fukravarun @aparshakti_khurana @tahirakashyap @mudassar_as_is @saqibsaleem to post their ‘ulta’ image, be part of the #UltaHokeThalassemiaRoke campaign and to donate to the campaign.

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It is indeed a great cause and amazing how these Bollywood celebrities are raising awareness for the same especially amid the COVID-19 crisis. If you wish to donate for the cause, you can donate to Wishing Factory for the same.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 08, 2020 04:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).