Nigerian musician Adekunle Gold has revealed that he still experiences painful sickle cell crises and is using his platform to raise awareness about the disease and the importance of genotype testing. Dependable NG reports that the 38-year-old artist opened up about his health struggles in a recent interview shared on social media, where he said, “I still have crises.” He described the intense pain caused by the condition and revealed that he has been on lifelong medication, including folic acid and vitamin B complex, since childhood.
Adekunle Gold explained that his mission is to create more awareness about Sickle Cell Disease, noting that many people are still uninformed and that relevant organisations have not done enough to address the issue.
Speaking on its prevalence, he said, “Where sickle cell is most known is my country, Nigeria. It happens when an SS matches an SS. That’s why knowing your genotype is so important—so that more children aren’t brought into the world to suffer from sickle cell.” He also shared that both his parents have the sickle cell trait, saying, “Unfortunately for me, my parents are sickle cell, and they brought me into the world.”
The singer recalled his childhood experiences, describing a crisis as excruciating pain that affects the joints, legs, and sometimes the stomach. He recounted one particularly difficult night when his mother carried him on her back and walked several miles to the hospital when he was about five or seven years old.
He expressed gratitude that although he still experiences crises occasionally, they are not as severe as they were during his childhood, attributing the improvement to proper self-care and access to better resources.
Source : https://dependable.ng/
