Lovejoy
Age: 25

I came into the awareness of my health condition when I was seven years old.

My doctor had to have a sit down session with me to educate me about it because I was always fighting with my parents, I was stubborn and quick to question their instructions and decisions, I wanted to do and eat everything they told me not to, sometimes I’d go ahead and disobey them and fall sick the very next day! So getting educated about it was their last option and it worked! I stopped hating them and became more aware.

My teenage years was a struggle, I was in the hospital every other week, I was lagging behind in school, I could not commit to anything because this crisis does not give any prior warning. Imagine landing in the hospital with a bad crisis that started out as a mild menstrual pain!! I can be fine today and be in the hospital the next day!

My worst crisis experience came as a shock, it was a Sunday and I had gone to church, I was feeling really good and happy but in the evening I was in the ambulance on my way to the hospital begging for death so that I don’t have to endure the pain anymore.

As an Adult, leaving the covering of my family and entering the real world, I’m exposed to the stigma and total lack of awareness about sickle cell anaemia especially in a country that has a lot of it’s people living with it. I don’t have as many crisis episodes as I used to, I had my first blood transfusion in my early 20s and I’m grateful to God that I enjoy good health. I’m pursuing my goals and dreams like everybody else because I don’t believe I’m disadvantaged in any way.

I try to educate and increase awareness about sickle cell anaemia through my podcast (ChimesNBants & Two Warriors On a Pod) - www.linktr.ee/chimesandbants.com

Romantic relationships as a warrior is not easy to come by, that’s another story on it’s own. Lol!!

Shoutout to all the people that said I wouldn’t live past 11 or 16 or 21. Look at me now!!! I’m 25 and glowing. Lol