Sickle Cell Disease Community
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"Hello I'm Chantelle Rodgers and today I AM TAKING OVER!!!! I am a 38 year old sickle cell patient (SS) and I live in Rotterdam (NL, Europe)."
"My name is Elijah M. Powell. I am a last semester Senior at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga...[and] I have sickle cell disease-SS."
"We get the name calling. They stereotype us. They either say we're here just for the drugs or we're just drug addicts."
"I went and talked to the teachers. She ended up with such good friends, and the teachers were just so good.
"I want people that don't have sickle cell to be more aware of sickle cell and be a bit more cautious, a little bit more helpful, a little bit more resourceful."
"Always smile. Always smile, no matter what's going on. Show your smile because when you smile, you're happy. Think positive."
"Well, like pain. When it's cold outside. My locker used to be by the door. Every time it opens it was cold..."
"I missed over 90 days, and they had to send the school tutors so when I went back to school, I'm still with the rest of the class."
"[My friends] ask me what it is, and where did it come from. I explain the blood sickles, and it stops blood flow."
"What gives me hope? I hope that they find a cure. The cures and medications that they have now are really good."
"It's already a silent disease [and] a lot of people don't talk about it. My husband was in the military..."
“Teachers know a lot because of my mother. Me, I never mentioned anything about [SCD] because I feel like once you mention it to everybody..."
"Sickle cell disease is like a full time life, full time child. Under my Bachelor's degree I got sick a lot. I had to miss a lot of school some classes."
"Since I was 11, I've tried to spread awareness and advocate for sickle cell. I was the poster child for the local chapter of our Red Cross blood drives."
"Always make your decisions on life on good days. One thing for sure, there is more good than bad days.
"I went there thinking, 'It's just college,' even though people were like, 'Oh, it's cold and may affect you.'"
"We're not faking it. Sometimes I could walk maybe 50 yards, and I'm exhausted or I don't have the energy..."
"I'm going to Marymount University in January. I've actually been out of school for about two years between community college and fulfilling my bachelors. I love painting, drawing."
"I just turned 40! I am an entrepreneur because I kept catching all the sicknesses from the office. I work from home.I studied accounting because I knew I could work from home when I needed to. No one will take me before my time."
"A lot of people don't know about sickle cell disease until their child is actually born with it. It's disheartening because this is not a disease that's out there like cancer or other diseases where they have more funding and they do more awareness for it."
"SCD has taught me to be strong and fight against the disease...and learn as many things as I can about my illness..."
"I feel like we're judged when we say we need something for pain. Stop judging us. You can't tell me how much pain i'm in. Just because I'm not crying, you can't tell me I'm not in pain."
"Some days I have doctor's appointments. First we have to get there, sign in, then wait. Then we have to see the doctor. I bring my water bottle every day.”
"Peyton has sickle cell SS, but at age 5, she hasn't really had any complications. She just turned 5. A lot of her hospitalizations have been around fevers. No pain crises."
"I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to do a lot of things. I went on to college, accounting degree, and had several careers at Fortune 500 companies."
"My parents were told I had sickle cell through newborn screening, but I had no idea until I was 12.
"I have sickle cell ss and have been a patient at UIC Hospital all my life. I'm going to be 51 years old. Right now, my illness is getting worse because as I get older, I'm having a lot of leg problems."
"I actually started with uncle when I was 12, and then I went out from there. When I was 16, I finally started my own, just small doing cookies and sweets. Then I got older, and I was able to work at my dad’s."
"During my finals, I was trying to take my test, and I just couldn't finish my test. I had to rush to the hospital. My mom and dad took me and they brought me here to the ER."