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I’m writing from the heart of the EHA2025 Congress, hosted by the European Hematology Association (EHA), in Milan, Italy. I’m surrounded by leading experts, researchers, and, most importantly, fellow patients who understand what it’s like to live with sickle cell disease. Conferences like this aren’t just for clinicians…

In honor of World Sickle Cell Day, held June 19, I would like to highlight some incredible U.K.-based organizations I’ve had the pleasure of working with recently. These groups are not only changing the narrative of what it means to live with sickle cell disease, but they’re also challenging…

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a dynamic condition that affects people differently. Its symptoms and complications are evident in some patients from childhood, while in others, it may be silent or asymptomatic. There is a common misconception that every child who lacks obvious symptoms or has an “asymptomatic”…

I was recently discharged from the hospital after experiencing a severe sickle cell crisis. It was one of those episodes that lingers. The kind that leaves you grappling not only with physical pain, but with the discomfort of uncertainty. Perhaps it’s due to my professional background, but I have…

Malaria remains one of the most common triggers of sickle cell crises in patients living in malaria-endemic regions, while sickle cell disease (SCD) also predisposes patients to frequent malaria infection. As a result, malaria prevention has become one of the mainstays of SCD management in these areas. Malaria…

Living with sickle cell disease is no small feat. It’s a condition that comes with a host of symptoms, complications, and issues that are unpredictable and span a lifetime. When people think about sickle cell disease, the most commonly known symptom is the vaso-occlusive crisis, also…

I’m a big advocate for giving myself time to recover after a sickle cell pain crisis. After my last crisis, however, I severely underestimated how long this process would take. It’s been two months now, and I’m finally able to return to everything I enjoy. I recognize myself again.

Sickle cell habitus, the distinct physical features of some people with sickle cell disease, are typically associated with patients who have more severe forms of the disease, such as sickle cell anemia. But the severity of sickle cell disease can vary greatly from one patient to another because of…

While I’ve been a sickle cell disease (SCD) advocate for more than two decades, I only seriously committed to this work after experiencing one of my worst complications: a case of avascular necrosis, which causes the death of blood tissue. It left me bedridden for…

First things first: Take a deep breath. Finding out your child has sickle cell disease can be overwhelming. It’s not what you planned or hoped for, and while it changes things, it doesn’t end anything. This diagnosis may bring a wave of guilt, fear, and grief. That’s completely…