Columns

Today is my birthday. When I was born, the life expectancy of sickle cell patients in the U.K. was 10 years old. It was worse in Nigeria, at 5 years old, which is why my family and I remained here in the U.K. My dad had come to London to…

Sickle cell disease is considered a rare condition. In the U.K., where I live, an estimated 15,000 people have it. In a population of over 66 million, it’s safe to say that my chances of meeting other people with sickle cell are extremely low. As a child, not many…

I have often overlooked the song “From Now On” from the movie “The Greatest Showman,” because “This Is Me” has to be the best song on the soundtrack, right? In the movie, protagonist P. T. Barnum, played by Hugh Jackman, feels as though everything is lost, until…

Having sickle cell disease or other chronic conditions means having to overcome many hurdles. For example, receiving bad news about our health can cause us to be sad. While it’s impossible to be positive all of the time, we still must do what we can to have a positive…

“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is a famous ballad sung by fans of the Liverpool Football Club. As a Manchester United fan, I hate Liverpool, but I love this anthem. Is that allowed? It reminds me that in soccer and life, you can’t do things alone. Yes, there are always…

People often tell me that I make living with sickle cell disease look easy. It is not. Whenever people make these types of comments, I always think that because I was born this way, I don’t know any other life — not really. For the most part, I have grown…

The Summer Olympics in Tokyo are in full swing, and even with the multiple hurdles that COVID-19 has created, I am happy the games are taking place. I’m not hugely into sports like many people are, but whenever a large event like the Olympics or the World Cup is…

Ah, here we go again. I should have known. If I drank more water, if I wore a hat, if I didn’t walk up all those stairs, if I didn’t eat so much, if I didn’t stress, if I didn’t have so much fun, I wouldn’t have had a crisis.

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…

Last week, I did something I never thought I would do. It’s something that people with sickle cell disease are strongly advised against doing. But it also has redefined my abilities and defied the limitations I once imposed on myself. My friends and I took part in a 10-mile…