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.
I recently wrote about my disappointment regarding Pfizer’s decision to withdraw Oxbryta (voxelotor) from global markets as a treatment option for sickle cell disease. Therefore, it seems only fitting that I also celebrate a milestone in gene therapy.
Read more
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is a famous ballad sung by fans of the Liverpool Football Club. As a Manchester United fan, I hate Liverpool, but I love this anthem. Is that allowed? It reminds me that in soccer…
Ah, here we go again. I should have known. If I drank more water, if I wore a hat, if I didn’t walk up all those stairs, if I didn’t eat so much, if I didn’t stress, if I…
It’s summertime, my favorite season here in the U.K. Summer brings great music, good vibes, and no crises! Sigh, I wish. I love summer weather because one of my main triggers for a sickle cell crisis is the…
COVID-19 restrictions are easing here in the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said we must “learn to live with this virus,” and he is lifting laws requiring masks and social distancing. It feels like the first real step…
With a chronic condition like sickle cell disease, I sometimes find it difficult to look far into the future. What exactly will my future be like? Will there be more hospital trips? More pain? More sadness? Reflecting on my…
I am going to take you behind the scenes of how this column, “Sickle Sagas,” came to be. I will show you everything about how I became an incredibly successful sickle cell advocate and storyteller who changed the…
June 19 was both World Sickle Cell Day and Juneteenth! It wasn’t until last year that I learned about Juneteenth — forgive me, I’m a Londoner. Similarly, many of my peers found out about World Sickle Cell…
Recently I have been engrossed in sagas about the viking king Ragnar Lothbrok as well as his famous sons’ exploits. A saga is a long story often involving herculean challenges. Although my life isn’t as dramatic as ruling…
Get regular updates to your inbox.
