I am a 32 year old mother to a 3 year old girl, who has lived with Sickle Cell all my life. My journey with motherhood and sickle cell has been the most challenging, yet beautiful experience. I was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia at the age of 2, so for as long as I can remember my life has been filled with pain and it’s complications. So far I have achieved at getting my college diploma in Medical Office Assistant and worked for the Sickle Cell Foundation of Alberta. I’ve been an advocate for myself and other sickle cell warriors by sharing my story in the news, as a child I was in the Edmonton Sun regarding having sickle cell while being in the hospitals school program.

Most recently, I was on CTV news on June 21, 2021 in an article “Racially profiled sickle cell disease patients say they face poor care.” I continue to spread awareness and reach out to fellow SS warriors as support. My greatest accomplishment is being a mother with a chronic disease. My pregnancy went well, I wasn’t experiencing a lot of crisis, but my placenta was very small along with my baby girl. My water broke at 8 months pregnant and my placenta ruptured and began to bleed, so I had an emergency C-section. My daughter was healthy, strong and safe, she was born 6 weeks early at just 2 lbs 14oz. My postpartum body was not the same as I began to get extremely sick with multiple pain crisis back to back, and have not had any breaks since my daughter has been born.

Unfortunately, living in Alberta, the population of Sickle Cell is not high enough for the doctors to fully understand and see the wide range and full effects of this disease. I have struggled with multiple stigmas such as being accused as a drug seeker, people not believing I’m in pain, racism and unprofessional behaviour from many doctors in hospital. I hope someday I can get to the point where sickle cell is well known and has a much better understanding and support system, so living life with this painful disease would be less dreadful.