“Survival of the fittest” is a phrase I have come to loathe. This manner of thinking is particularly appalling to hear as a sickle cell patient. I have heard the phrase more frequently lately, against the backdrop of the current COVID-19 pandemic. But what does it mean? Historically,…
Shaniqua’s Sickle Chronicles – a Column by Mary Shaniqua
I was hospitalized on March 3 with a sickle cell crisis and discharged 12 days later. I then spent a week recovering at home. Under normal circumstances, I would have returned to “ordinary life” on March 23. But during that period, ordinary life changed significantly due to the…
Columns
The Isolation Diaries
On March 16, 2020, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable citizens should shield themselves for 12 weeks. My instant reaction was utter shock. How could I feasibly spend the next 12 weeks inside my house? It’s been two weeks…
If someone asked you to tell your life story, what would you say? We all have a story. Some might begin by describing their life from the point of meeting their partner, or from high school, or perhaps following the birth of their child. We remember and retell our stories…
Recent Posts
- Investigational SCD therapy shows stronger results at higher dose
- Risto-cel showing lasting benefits for people with severe SCD in trial
- The price of living with a physical disability in a non-inclusive society
- Casgevy safely prevents sickle cell crises in children: Trial data
- Curcumin skin gel shown to improve heart health in SCD mice
- Socioeconomic status not linked to stroke risk in children with SCD
- Weathering the stages of denial before reaching acceptance
- New Aflac children’s book supports youngsters with SCD, cancer
- Navigating the debilitating pain of a sickle cell headache
- New pill mitapivat successfully raises hemoglobin in SCD trial