Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen to all parts of the body. As a result of thalassemia, your body makes less hemoglobin than normal. It consists of two different proteins, an alpha, and a beta. If the body doesn’t produce enough of either of these two proteins, the red blood cells do not form properly and cannot carry sufficient oxygen. The result is anemia that begins in early childhood and lasts throughout life.