Living

The last time I talked about love over two years ago,  I thought I had met the one. What a cliche. I'm not sure if there is just one right...

Why do some people think nothing good can come from living with sickle cell? They feel like every day is miserable for someone living with this disease. Maybe they need...

When my pain levels rise, I tend to withdraw from those around me. What comes to my mind is the safety mechanism of the turtle when the turtle has to...

I often talk to parents about sickle cell disease (SCD), even if they do not have a child with SCD. I recently had an interesting conversation with a mom, and...

Our minds are really amazing. They can make us believe we’re not in pain when we should be or that we are in pain/danger when we’re not. I really believe...

We all know that mental health and mental health issues are not talked about enough and I feel like it is because it is not encouraged in many homes, especially...

I am proud to announce that my newest children's book will be published in the summer of 2023. It will be a special book that I wrote together with my...

My mother and I have a complicated relationship. I am not sure there is a mother-daughter relationship in existence that is not complicated. Treading the delicate balance between parent and...

I can't believe it's been 3 years since my transplant. For most of my life, I thought sickle cell pain would always take center stage in my life, dictating where...

As of April 22, 2023, around 11:53 am, my life forever changed. I went from being Halimat Shadia Owolobi Olaniyan – author, philanthropist, sickle cell warrior and all-around pretty cool...

I try to treat myself periodically to a massage technique called medical massage from a licensed medical massage therapist. A massage therapist rubs and kneads the soft tissues of your...

I've always thought that there had to be some health benefits of sunshine. Growing up in dull England will make you start to wonder about these sorts of things. I...

This article is for caregivers who sometimes feel lonely or sad. I've thought about it for a long time if it's smart to write about emotions when I'm a bit...

As I continue to foster relationships with fellow advocates, one thing rings true for all of us – we grew up not knowing any other person living with sickle cell...

Have you heard of The Match? Well, it’s the most important day of medical school. The day all 4 years, and all the work before/outside of the 4 years, is...

As a parent of a child with sickle cell disease (SCD), it is very important that we know exactly where to get the necessary information. A mother called me in...

A few weeks ago, I was invited to the Sickle Cell Community Consortium's Leadership Summit in Atlanta. It was the first time health leaders, patient advocates, caregivers, pharmaceutical companies, and...

My little princess has been diagnosed with chronic back pain since the summer of 2021. Every time I think about it or write about it, a piece of my heart...

Remember when I was on my period and nervous about giving blood for the first time? Well, that appointment had to be rescheduled because of the weather, so crisis averted...

I had a conversation with another warrior who is also a friend recently. We were just catching up when she asked how the change in weather was treating me and...