My parents knew they were carriers of the sickle cell trait before I was born, so they made an effort to find out if I had the disease during the prenatal stages of my mother’s pregnancy. Once they found out I had it, plans and preparations were made to ensure they knew how to be effective caregivers from the moment I was born.
My parents certainly tried their best to make sure they kept me as healthy as possible. There are quite a few things that I remember them encouraging me to do from a very young age.
The anthem of my childhood: “Tito, drink water!” Even though I didn’t fully understand what the importance of drinking water was, I just knew I had to do it and I never really questioned it. Drinking enough water is important for all people with sickle cell because it promotes healthy blood circulation and reduces the chance of a sickle cell crisis.