Both my sister and I have Sickle Cell Disease. From childhood, CD has always taken a major toll on us as both my sister and I were always sick. When she was ill, I would be so sad. It was so painful to see her this way– she was so thin and tiny and so very sick. At one time, I remember she was hospitalized at SickKids Hospital bi-weekly for two weeks at a time. It was painful to watch, and I always found myself pretty sad every time she went in.
When my sister was a teenager, I witnessed her having a stroke. That event had me in tears, I cried and cried because she was so young– it was heart-shattering. As a result of the stroke, they had her on deferral and blood transfusion began. I was there by her side while she received her treatment– holding her hand while she received needles and telling her to stay strong during her treatment as well as always being there for her. Unfortunately, when she was a little older, she suffered from heart failure. This devastated our entire family, however after days and hours of prayer and unwavering faith, she made it through.
Through every episode from childhood to adulthood we as sisters have struggled but thrived with the disease.
