Dunstan Nicol-Wilson is a clinical project manager from South East London, United Kingdom. Dunstan has his master’s in public health with a global health focus. Dunstan was diagnosed with the “invisible disorder” sickle cell disease from birth in 1993. He hopes that his column will raise awareness for this disease, encourage others to share their stories, and showcase all the ups and downs of living with a rare condition. Dunstan loves anime, cooking, and Manchester United.
Part of my coping mechanism after a sickle cell crisis is to forget it ever happened. To address that, this year I started an audio journal during the recovery process as a way…
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Growing up in South London is a rare experience. There’s a plethora of rich and diverse African and Caribbean communities that have influenced the area’s culture. Word of mouth goes a long way, and…
Experiencing different cultures has made me appreciate how people interact with the world. I’ve been reflecting lately on how culture has influenced my actions, especially my advocacy for sickle cell patients. Both my…
This month is special for me. On June 14, I celebrated my third anniversary of writing this column for Sickle Cell Disease News, and June 19 will mark both World…
Many people have asked me how they can be a good friend to someone with sickle cell disease. I’m always willing to give advice, but I include the caveat that my suggestions…
I celebrated my birthday last month, and I’m grateful to be 31 and see another year. I feel blessed — even though, in recent months, I’ve experienced loss within our sickle cell…
One thing I enjoy doing in my life is mentoring young people with sickle cell disease. I decided to become a mentor a few years ago in order to share my experiences…
During a recent weekend, I was hanging out with my friends and catching up on life. One of my long-term guy friends mentioned he had become a blood donor and had been giving…
While sickle cell falls under the umbrella of rare disease, it doesn’t feel so rare among my circle of acquaintances. In my community, somebody always knows someone else with sickle cell disease and…
It’s the season for new beginnings and expanding on our past successes. I’m grateful to see another year; it’s a blessing and a privilege. In remembrance of those who didn’t make it into…
Mentoring young people with sickle cell disease has been an enriching endeavor. I’ve learned and shared a lot about how the disease affects people differently. As a result of these differences,…
I’m constantly going through physical, spiritual, and mental growth. Removing or changing learned behavior and patterns, for example, has allowed me to become a better version of myself. However, I’ve been walking with…
I have been on a journey since 2018 to share my experiences with sickle cell disease and help others avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made along the way. This journey has…
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