I Sickle Well - a Column by Somi Igbene

Zinc is an essential mineral and a vital component of many proteins in your body, and it plays a crucial role in immunity, vision, taste, smell, skin health, and sexual function. Scientists have known since 1975 that people with sickle cell disease have low zinc levels and often…

I’ve depended on optimism to protect my sanity, but I’ve always known I needed to be realistic. Sickle cell disease affects people on a spectrum, and pain is always a feature no matter where someone lies on that spectrum. My son, a 2-year-old with sickle cell, and I have…

Motherhood has beautiful moments, but it certainly comes with a dose of anxiety and emotional roller coasters. Add any type of impairment or disease to the mix, and you might find yourself on the verge of a mental breakdown. Caring for a child with sickle cell disease is…

While my son, who has sickle cell disease, has been mostly well, he’s had to go to the emergency room twice since being born. The first was when he was 9 months old, and the second was in March, just before his second birthday. The first incident was insignificant.

I almost can’t believe my son is 2 years old already! It doesn’t help that every time I take him out, acquaintances, and even some friends, scream in disbelief when they see him — they still expect to see a sitting baby, not a running toddler. I’m thankful he’s been…

I speak for many mothers when I say that receiving my child’s sickle cell diagnosis left me thinking he would be incapacitated. I thought he would be in pain every day, with a poor quality of life and unable to do normal daily activities. Considering many of my family…

Every time I share about my son’s sickle cell disease diagnosis with other parents caring for children with the disease, the question I am always asked is, “Does your son take penicillin?” It’s such a common question that I feel I should share the answer with you, too. Before I…

When my son was diagnosed with sickle cell disease 17 months ago, I thought constantly about what this might mean for our future. But I don’t think about it much these days, and that’s mainly because he hasn’t had any sickle cell crises or other related pain. Perhaps it’s…

Sickle Cell Awareness Month is here again! I’m very excited about this one because it’s the first year I can wholeheartedly participate. Last year, I was still struggling to accept my son’s diagnosis, and even though I had announced I would stay strong and do my utmost to keep…

I can’t put into words how gut-wrenching it was to receive my son’s sickle cell diagnosis. I had prayed fervently that he would be sickle-free, but alas, God had other plans. At least, that’s what my family and every other religious person told me. But did God really have…