Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua

Mary is a 30-year-old London-based sickle cell patient using her experiences to build up others and raise awareness of what it’s like to live with a rare disease.

Navigating grief and loss in our sickle cell community

There is something that some people do that bothers me when I tell them for the first time that I have sickle cell disease. I’ll introduce sickle cell disease into the conversation, and they’ll respond by telling me that they knew someone who died from the disease. They usually…

Finding alternative ways to combat sickle cell pain at home

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with opioids and alternative forms of pain relief. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Unfortunately, as winter descends upon us here in the U.K., my chances of experiencing…