Community Health Leaders
In order to stay up to date on latest treatments, drug discovery, clinical studies and how to cope with sickle cell every day, Sickle-Cell.com brings you frequent articles, points of view and advice from health leaders and experts.
Current health leaders
Grace Adeyinka
Grace is a Sickle Cell Patient, she was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at birth and has been a warrior and fighter ever since. Grace had a very difficult childhood due to her sickle cell anemia. During her childhood she suffered many hospitalizations, surgeries, and sickle cell crises. Read more.
Abayomi Afolayan
My name is Abayomi, a creator, blogger, and writer based in Lagos, Nigeria. I live with sickle cell disorder. A disorder that majorly affects the black race and is usually inherited from both parents. Read more.
Wunmi Bakare
Wunmi Bakare is a Patient Advocate and Stem Cell transplant recipient. At 18 months, she was diagnosed with the most severe type of sickle cell disease, Hemoglobin SS, but in 2019, she participated in a clinical trial at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute where she received an allogeneic stem cell transplant as a curative therapy. Read more.
Elle Cole
Elle Cole empowers moms and advocates for children with sickle cell disease. She is a mom of twin daughters, one of whom is living with Sickle Cell Disease and Type 1 Diabetes. Read more.
Chesterfield Hall
Growing up Chesterfield Hall was very active in sports and martial arts. Chesterfield Hall was diagnosed in 2011 with Sickle Cell Trait by his adult primary care physician. In 2011 he created the Sickle Cell Trait Journal on Facebook to locate more people with sickle cell traits like him. Read more.
André Harris
André Marcel Harris obtained his Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Fayetteville State University. At Fayetteville State, he was privileged to study abroad in Shanghai, China. While earning his undergraduate degree, Read more.
Lena Harvey
Lena Harvey hails from the heartland, having been born in Chicago, IL, and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1989, at the age of four, Lena was formally diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease. Childhood for Lena was a unique one, as she and her family learned just how demanding and unpredictable it would be coping with such an illness. Read more.
Andressa Hunsel
Andressa Hunsel Ambrose is a mother of a warrior, she is a Sickle Cell advocate, author of the children's book “Keemaya and the Beach, My journey living with Sickle Cell” and in her professional life, she is the founder and CEO of Hunsel Business Management Consultancy. Read more.
Jenica Leah
Jenica Leah is an award-winning author and blogger as well as a speaker living with Sickle Cell Anaemia. Since being diagnosed with sickle cell at 6 weeks old, Jenica has battled with the many complications that come with the disorder such as stroke, acute chest syndrome, avascular necrosis in both hips — the list goes on. Read more.
Halimat Olaniyan
My name is Halimat Olaniyan and I have sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell patients are born with their disease and most experience symptoms by 6 months of age, but I didn't have my first symptoms until I was 7 years old. Read more.
Previous Health Leaders
Samuel Adeyinka
Sam has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Kean University and a Master of Social Work degree from Delaware State University. He has served as a School Counselor, supported students with post-secondary counseling, and worked with students in a variety of settings. Read more.
Rhedd Maya
Rhoda Ndo, popularly known as Rhedd Maya or Dat_Ewe_Model is a poet, fashion model, and aspiring actress. She hails from a small town called Ve-Gbodome in the Afadzato South District of the Volta Region, Ghana but lives in Accra. Read more.
Dee McGowan
Dee has sickle cell anemia (SC), she was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at birth and has been a fighter and sickle cell warrior ever since, Dee tries her very best to radiate joy and hope and live a normal life, without allowing sickle cell to consume her. Read more.
Kehinde Salami
39 years old born in Nigeria with sickle cell disease but didn’t find out I had it until I was in my early 20’s. Shamefully my lack of awareness about the condition inspired me not only to want to learn more about sickle cell but to create a platform for other sickle cell patients like myself to have a voice and exchange information. Read more.
Alisha Whynn
Alisha Whynn is a 32-year-old mother with Sickle Cell Anemia. After a life of being in and out of the hospital, Alisha reached her mid-twenties and decided that she wanted to let people know more about her illness. Read more.
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