Dazzling Mirage is the story of Funmiwo, the adoptive daughter of the Adebayos, the story of her travails and triumphs against the odds of physical pains and psychological traumas which she experienced in the journey towards self-fulfillment. Frail in body but full of spirit and talent, Funmiwo represents the several thousands of sickle cell patients who live in hope; the parallel reference to the life of another anemic character. Related content

"Little George and the Dragon" tells the story of Little George, a sickle cell warrior, who helps his neighbors deal with a painfully annoying dragon who dropped out of the sky and onto their street by teaching them about how he deals with sickle cell, which can also be painful and annoying. Related content

Two health educators have written a children’s book about living with sickle cell disease (SCD). I’m No Different Than You tells the story of Kayla, a girl who has a positive outlook on life despite the challenges of managing a chronic medical condition. After having to attend a new school, Kayla is worried about how others will react to learning that she has SCD. Kayla’s friendships are quickly changed by the lack of understanding, and fears of the other children. The authors, Jaime Mahaffey MSW, LISW, and Kristy High, MEd, wrote the book in honor of children who suffer from chronic medical conditions. Mahaffey, a social worker, has a 15-year-old daughter, Kayla, who was diagnosed with SCD shortly after birth. High, a health and wellness educator, is the godmother of 12-year-old Kristy who also lives with sickle cell disease. Related content

A husband wouldn’t have to cradle the college sweetheart who became his wife in his arms as she takes her last breaths of life. A life, bear in mind, spent 36 years in a body too compromised by sickness to, at one time, deliver alive the twins she had yearned to leave with her husband as a legacy of their love. In a much better world, a stoic 7-year-old who lost her spleen and gall bladder at 4 wouldn’t need monthly blood transfusions to prolong the life she had with her family among the bucolic Colorado communities bordering the Rocky Mountains. While a violin prodigy just four months her senior endures his own life-sustaining transfusions in a mountain-outlying city of the Carolinas. Related content

In 2008, we set up this website to provide free information to young people in a fun, fast and illustrative way. The website has grown steadily and has become a very useful place for young people to visit and learn. Our users come from all over the world. Over the years, our headline sponsor, BusinessGhana Interenet Services (www.businessghana.com) has supported us with hosting and other technical needs. What is Sickle-cell? Sickle cell disease is a disease of the blood. It is inherited. It results (or can result) in serious infections, chronic anaemia and damage to body organs. Sometimes the pains from sickle-cell can last a few days, whiles others are hospitalized for weeks and months. Related content

A community for people living with sickle cell disease and also open to those with the trait and families. Related content

Today, about 100,000 Americans live with sickle cell disease. But there was a moment in the early 1970s when it seemed it was going to be wiped out. The inherited blood disorder mostly affects people of African descent, as well as Mediterranean and South Indian peoples. American civil rights organizations had been calling for greater attention to sickle cell anemia throughout the ’60s. President Richard Nixon singled it out in an address to Congress in 1971, and research funding was increased fivefold. Yet the result was what Boston pediatrician and sickle cell specialist Patricia Kavanagh called “the poster child of what not to do” when it comes to public health. Related content

I am a sickle cell warrior, a sickle cell advocate and a medical doctor. I write this article to enlighten people on aspects of sickle cell awareness which are mostly ignored. First, I will be referring to sickle cell patients as sickle cell warriors because I believe we truly define the word ‘warrior’. A particular question that has been on my mind lately is, “Who will fight for the sickle cell warriors?” Who? I see Nigerians impressively coming together, joining forces with activists and celebrities to fight rape, injustice and many other social vices. But no one is truly fighting for sickle cell warriors. Many sickle cell warriors are preoccupied with their health challenges with no time to fight for themselves, while those that are not preoccupied cannot stand the stigma associated with the disease. They prefer to keep quiet. Related content

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of genetic disorders that affect red blood cells, causing them to become shaped like crescents, or sickles. The sickle-shaped cells travel through the blood stream where they can get stuck and cut off blood flow, causing intense pain and organ damage. Stigma occurs when a negative stereotype about a group is attributed to an individual. Health-related stigma refers to the rejection of people with certain health conditions, based on a negative stereotype. In the case of SCD, health-related stigma can be compounded by racism (actual or perceived) and can pose significant barriers to getting appropriate care. For example, the seeking of a specific medication for chronic or acute pain may be perceived as the behavior of a person affected by substance abuse. Or, people who are experiencing SCD-related pain may be falsely thought of as malingers (those who pretend to be sick to get out of their responsibilities). Related content

Last week, I talked about food, herbs and drinks that are beneficial for you as someone with sickle cell. Today, I would like to continue in that vein; in terms of looking after you better. All what I am trying to do is encourage healthy habits and answer questions that I was asked over and over again by people. First things first, sickle cell disease can be detected during pregnancy or soon after birth. Screening for sickle cell disease in pregnancy is offered in the western world to check if there is a risk of a child being born with the condition, and all babies are offered screening as part of the newborn blood spot test, which is a heel prick test. Blood tests can also be carried out at any age to check for sickle cell disease in any individual. Related content