Educating Our Kids Living With Sickle CellI 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... By Andressa Hunsel2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments3 comments
How Parents of Children with Sickle Cell Disease Can Find Intimacy and ConnectionI'm the mother of a child with sickle cell disease (SCD), and a few weeks ago while chatting with another sickle cell parent, she asked me about sickle cell and... By Elle Cole7 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments3 comments
A Warrior's Perspective on Mother's DayMy 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... By Halimat Olaniyan2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
The Three Year Transplant UpdateI 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... By Wunmi Bakare3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments9 comments
Changing Roles: Allow Me to Reintroduce MyselfAs 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... By Halimat Olaniyan2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments0 comments
My Medical Massage ExperienceI 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... By Chesterfield Hall2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments4 comments
The Benefits of Sunshine in My LifeI'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... By Jenica Leah2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments5 comments
A Lonely journeyThis 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... By Andressa Hunsel3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Creating A #SickleCellTribeAs 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... By Wunmi Bakare4 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments2 comments
The MatchHave 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... By Halimat Olaniyan2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Where Can I Find More Information About Sickle Cell Disease?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... By Andressa Hunsel4 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments4 comments
A Recap of the Sickle Cell Leadership SummitA 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... By Wunmi Bakare4 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Long-Term Effects of Chronic PainPain is the primary reason that people with sickle cell disease (SCD) visit the emergency room. It is an extremely common symptom for those living with SCD. Pain from SCD... By Editorial Team 3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Sickle Cell & Chronic Pain: The Road to RecoveryMy 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... By Andressa Hunsel3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Updates on My First Research StudyRemember 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... By Halimat Olaniyan2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Am I lucky? The Differences in Our BodiesI 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... By Abayomi Afolayan3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments4 comments
Sickle Cell Disease and the Journey of Virtual EducationLast year I wrote an article about the challenges I encountered at my daughter's school. Some of the accommodations we had in New Jersey for the 504 plan we don't... By Andressa Hunsel3 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Dating With an Invisible IllnessThe other day I was speaking to a dear friend and we found ourselves digging up the "Ex files," thinking of love lost and love won. As we reflected on... By Wunmi Bakare4 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments3 comments
The #1 Reason to Donate BloodGrowing up, I always knew my blood would be my highest hurdle. Imagine being made to carry your enemy inside of you. All the while it destroys you from the inside... By Lena Harvey2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments1 comments
Living My Best LifeWhile the year is still new, I want to talk about all the exciting things going on in my life and share updates on all the things I’ve been working... By Halimat Olaniyan2 min readBookmark for laterReactions0reactionsComments4 comments