Sickle CELL Matters

The Sickle Cell Community lost a Rare Gem, A True Visionary and Exemplary Leader yesterday.

Oluwatoyin Ibidunni Adesola the Founder of Sickle Cell Advocacy & Mgt Initiative lived a live of legacy.

Her work in the Sickle Cell community lives on.

Rest in peace The Resiliense Boss💪

He gave everything… so we could have life. ✝️❤️

On this Good Friday, we remember the ultimate sacrifice of love, grace, and redemption.

May our hearts be filled with gratitude, humility, and hope knowing that even in the darkest moment, God’s love shines brightest.

INTERNET ON FIRE 🔥🔥🔥 ........ AGAIN?

NO, NOT YET; BUT STAY TUNED FOR THE BOMBSHELL FROM DR. AGBOOLA EMMANUEL!!!

A RESEARCH ON THE RESILIENCE OF NIGERIAN DENTAL SURGEONS LIVING WITH SICKLE CELL:

Dr. Agboola Emmanuel Tobiloba is a dental surgeon who qualified in 2018(University of Ibadan).

He is conducting a research on the resilience, doggedness and strength among Nigerian dental surgeons living with sickle cell disease.

The research is meant to prove the longstanding beliefs wrong about the frailty of sickle cell warriors in surgical practice with dental surgery as the focus.

It'd be Dr. Agboola's utmost joy if you'd be kind enough to message him, should you be (or should you know)a sickle cell warrior who graduated from any of the dental schools in Nigeria.

Please you'd be kind enough to grant his humble request by sending him a message, or/and share this post on all relevant groups that you belong which could provide him with this information [social media groups and pages of National, State and Local Government Dental Associations; social media pages and groups of the alumni bodies of all the Dental Schools all over Nigeria(about 11 of them)]

By doing this, you would have made the world a better place, by inspiring it with incredible stories of Nigerian sickle cell warriors that graduated as dental surgeons and are still practicing; inspiring the world that some sickle cell warriors have thrived perfectly well in the field of dental surgery.

His WhatsApp contact detail is below:

https://wa.me/2348020878841

How to properly parent a sickle cell warrior

Being a parent to a sickle cell warrior is a journey only your heart truly understands. It is loving a child whose smile can disappear in seconds because pain has knocked again. It is praying silently while acting strong. It is learning to live with fear, hope, and deep love all at once.

1. Believe your child, always
When your child says “I’m in pain,” believe them. Even when tests look fine. Even when others doubt. Sickle cell pain is invisible, but it is real. Your belief is comfort. Your doubt is another wound.

2. Be their safe place
Hospitals, needles, and long nights can make your child feel scared and tired of life. Let home be the place where they can cry, complain, sleep, and just be held without being judged or corrected.

3. Love them through the anger
Sometimes they will snap, withdraw, or say hurtful things. That is not disrespect. That is pain speaking. Hug them even when it is hard. Correct with gentleness. Remember, it is the illness talking, not your child.

4. Fight for them when they are too weak
Speak up in hospitals. Ask questions. Demand proper care. Educate teachers and relatives. Many warriors survive because a parent refused to keep quiet.

5. Celebrate small victories
A pain free day. A full night of sleep. A completed school term. A genuine smile. These moments matter. Hold onto them. They are proof that hope is still alive.

6. Speak up for them
In schools, hospitals, and among family members. Educate people who misunderstand sickle cell. Your voice may be the reason they receive proper care and respect.

7. Remind them they are not a burden
Many warriors grow up feeling guilty for being sick. Tell your child often that they are loved, wanted, and a blessing.

8. Cover them with prayer and hope
Pray on the days you feel strong and on the days you feel tired. Speak life into them. Hope is powerful medicine.

9. Take care of yourself too
You cannot pour from an empty cup. Rest when you can. Cry when you need to. Ask for help. A healthy parent is a stronger caregiver.

Proper parenting of a sickle cell warrior is love in action. It is choosing patience over anger, hope over fear, and faith over exhaustion.
If you are doing your best, you are already a good parent.

I am a sickle cell warrior

©️ Tella R. Olufunke

Dear Warrior,

You are not a burden. You never have been, and you never will be.

As someone living with sickle cell and working as a genetic counsellor, I speak from both lived experience and professional understanding.

Sickle cell is a condition, not a definition. It is something you manage, not something that diminishes your worth.
The fact that your journey sometimes includes pain, hospital visits, or moments of vulnerability does not make you a burden.

It makes you HUMAN.

Many warriors grow up feeling they have to apologise for being unwell, for needing rest, for asking for support, or for changing plans.
Over time, that quiet apology can turn inward and become self blame.
I want to gently remind you that needing help is not a failure. It is a natural part of living with a long term condition, just as glasses are part of living with poor eyesight or insulin is part of living with diabetes.

Your life has value beyond sickle cell disorder. Your worth is not measured by how much you can endure in silence, how rarely you ask for help, or how well you hide your pain. You matter simply because you exist. Your presence enriches families, friendships, workplaces, and communities in ways that are often unseen but deeply felt.

As a genetic counsellor, I have seen how much resilience lives within the sickle cell community. As a warrior, I know that resilience does not mean being strong every day. It means allowing yourself grace on the hard days and recognising that rest, boundaries, and care are acts of strength.

So please remember this.
You are allowed to take up space.
You are allowed to need care.
You are allowed to live fully, loudly, and honestly. You are not a burden.
You are a person with a story, a purpose, and a future that matters.

Be gentle with yourself.

The world is better because you are in it.

Happy New Year beautiful people.

May this year be a year of answered prayers for us all.

Some battles aren’t visible, but they’re real.

For many living with sickle cell, every day is a quiet act of bravery.
There are mornings filled with pain, nights of uncertainty, and moments when hope feels far away… but we keep showing up.

We keep surviving.

That’s why I’m happy to be part of The Charity Series 2025 Fundrais, an event dedicated to supporting people living with Cancer, Sickle Cell, and Mental Health challenges.

🗓 Saturday, 1st November 2025
🕑 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM (WAT)
💻 Virtual (Zoom)
🔗 Register here
https://bit.ly/EHICharityFundraiser2025

I’ll be joining the Panel conversation on “Living with Sickle Cell: Overcoming Daily Challenges”, sharing from my own journey and the lessons I’ve learned walking this path.

This event isn’t just about raising funds it’s about raising hope.
It’s about saying to everyone struggling silently: you’re not alone, and your story matters.

If you’ve ever faced illness, pain, or mental health struggles or if you simply believe in compassion, please join us.

Together, let’s turn Hope into Action. ❤️

Register to Attend

🌟 Slots are Limited – Register today!