Columns

As Sickle Cell Awareness Month winds down, it’s worth recognizing the vital role that employment can play in the long-term health and well-being of disabled people. Work provides far more than a salary. It offers independence, purpose, routine, social connection, and opportunities for growth. However, these benefits are only truly…

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how my experiences with sickle cell disease influence my decisions when I feel pain, such as how quickly I reach for medication. When I was younger, I might have waited until my pain reached a 7 or 8 on the pain scale before doing…

My first two children, Tyson and Jordyn, were born in 2013 and 2015, respectively, with sickle cell disease type HbSS. Tyson was diagnosed about a week after birth. The doctors called me and told me I needed to bring him in for his first hematology appointment. After that…

When I joined Bionews, the publisher of this website, in 2023 as a freelance sickle cell disease (SCD) columnist, I experienced something that stayed with me. As someone living with a rare disease, I wasn’t the only person like me in the workplace. Several colleagues also lived with chronic…

When I was younger, I hated taking medication. It didn’t sit well with me that I had to take it for something I never asked for. Having to do it every day was particularly difficult, and when it came to managing pain, the size of some of the tablets and…

Hospital admissions can feel overwhelming when you live with sickle cell disease (SCD), regardless of where you receive care. Here in Nigeria, the experience can differ from what someone might see in the United States, but the emotional weight of an admission can feel remarkably similar. Research commonly identifies…

I’ve loved September for as long as I can remember because it is Sickle Cell Awareness Month. At age 7, I attended Camp Jubilee, a weeklong summer camp for children with sickle cell disease. There, I learned we had our very own awareness month. As if being surrounded by…

If you’ve read my columns, you know how much I praise and appreciate my support system. Everyone close to me knows I have sickle cell disease, so I rarely have to explain it or worry that they’ll panic about my health. They see me regularly, and I’ve learned to…

I missed another birthday celebration and had to send another “sorry, I can’t make it” message — not because I like canceling on people, but because I have sickle cell disease. Living with sickle cell means living with FOMO — the fear of missing out. I must budget…

Keeping a job while living with sickle cell disease (SCD) can be challenging, especially when you have moderate to severe disease. Symptoms and complications can make it harder to maintain regular work hours or remain in a demanding career. For many warriors, unemployment and financial hardship can add to…