Category: Advocacy & Experience

September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month designated to help focus attention on the need for research and treatment of Sickle Cell disease. In 1975, the National Association for Sickle Cell disease, Inc. created a series of awareness campaigns. In 1976, they launched a national awareness month in September amid growing concerns about the amount of misinformation available about Sickle…

As far back as I can remember I have always been a huge video game nerd, capable of playing games from sunrise to sunset or sunset to sunrise. I remember my very first console was the Sega Mega Drive and this was the first game I was addicted to. This began my obsession. I wish I could add up the…

The other day a friend of mine from Washington called me while he was completely wasted and it was quite hilarious and weirdly touching. My friend, called me to express how worried he was about me and how seriously I should take my health during this pandemic (only one other friend has expressed concern like this, my other friends attempted…

Sickle Cell in Uganda is a major public health problem with poor visibility and low, awareness, a situation that will persist if patients continue to be hidden away in families. Uganda was among the first countries in Africa with a documented large burden of Sickle Cell Anemia. In 1949, substantial differences in the prevalence of Sickle Cell trait were reported…

You’re awesome they say. So strong they say. It’s laughable how people can say this straight faced. You don’t know how I fear the hours coming ‘til I awake. You don’t know what a struggle it is for me to make it through the day. Such a fighter they say. Tap my gloves at dawn with the sunlight. First round…

I simultaneously felt pain and relief when I first uttered the words “I have Sickle Cell and I am ashamed”. It was sort of liberating. For the last couple of years I couldn’t quite put my finger on the pressure I was feeling. I was frustrated. I was sick frequently and my health (or lack thereof) was preventing me from…