Her Sickled Journey — Tito Oye

COVID-19 cases are increasing again here in the U.K., and government officials can no longer prioritize improving the economy over protecting people’s health. Instead, they must acknowledge the toll the virus has taken on people and the pressure a high number…

I have felt pretty overwhelmed lately. After months of sheltering at home and being relatively inactive, I’ve suddenly taken on a ton of new responsibilities. I’m trying to get into the habit of having a busy schedule again and managing my time…

One of my favorite features is my smile, and I find that in life, I have many things to smile about. I have very good people around me who provide an amazing support system, I have a home, I have a…

I share much about my journey with sickle cell disease on social media. I find it to be a handy tool in raising awareness, because it allows me to do so many things. For example, I can share facts…

Friendships are beautiful and make life much more meaningful. I love being in the company of friends. They have been a blessing in many ways, especially when it comes to my health. For a long time, I didn’t talk to my friends…

Needing to go to the hospital due to a vaso-occlusive crisis is never ideal or pleasant. As a kid, the idea of going to the hospital was a nightmare to me. I never really understood the importance of seeking medical attention…

After many months of sheltering in place, or shielding, as we call it here in the U.K., the time finally came for me to leave my house for reasons unrelated to medical issues. The government had paused shielding requirements, but I…

Having a lifelong condition like sickle cell disease forces people to grow up pretty quickly. We must acknowledge certain responsibilities early on, and we can’t afford to ignore them because we don’t want ignorance to worsen our health. Many have…

Just like that, it’s September again – aka Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Sickle cell awareness means shining a light on sickle cell warriors and revealing what life is like with the condition. Not just the science, but the…

Death always is a sobering thing to process. Hearing about someone’s untimely passing — whether the person was close to us or not — reminds us of life’s fickle nature.  We recently heard the sad news of actor Chadwick…

Looking at my diagnosis in a positive light doesn’t come naturally to me. I usually view my health as a disadvantage, and I used to expect others to do the same. I think this expectation stemmed from the many times…

In the U.K., the National Health Service maintains a medical exemption list with conditions that entitle patients to free prescriptions. This is a wonderful concept that relieves some of the financial pressures of healthcare costs that many people might…