Parchment Student Profile

Having been through a lot because of my health condition I believe that if I did not have Sickle-Cell Anemia, I would not be the strong compassionate individual that I am today. I have learnt the importance of valuing ones life especially when in good health, as well as the significance of compassion for those who are less fortunate than you.

I wouldn’t describe Sickle Cell Anemia as a disability but rather a cruel gift where the positive outcomes out weigh the negatives. It has taught me valuable life lessons of perseverance and compassion.

I was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In 1996 my family and I migrated from our blood-diamond-war torn country of Sierra Leone and immigrated to the more peaceful lands of New Zealand, where we found out that I have Sickle Cell Anemia. Sickle Cell disease is a genetic blood disorder where the biconcave red blood cells are reduced to a sickled or crescent shape. The deformed cells carry less oxygen around the body and have the tendency to get stuck in the capillaries, causing blockages and starving organs of oxygen, triggering tissue damage.

Nevertheless I feel blessed, as I have had access to a great health care system and Doctors who are the best of professionals in their fields as well as compassionate. In March 2009 I had a splenectomy and a month later I had my gallbladder removed. My pediatric hematologist Dr Lochie Teague and my current hematologist Dr Hilary Blacklock have both had a big influence on my life. Having to see them multiple times a year they have gotten to know me well and are both supportive of me in my dreams to become a Pediatric Hematologist. I have been surrounded by great family, friends and healthcare professionals who have supported me through the toughest times of my life and have also encouraged me to “get back on the horse” when I have fallen of.

In 2008 I travelled to Sierra Leone with my family for the first time since we emigrated in 1996. As a 15-year-old teenager I was excited to meet my family and learn more about my culture, I expected sizzling summer days and great fun. In short I was naïve. The trip was in a way a rude awakening for me .If asked what the trip really meant to me I would say it was where my bubble was popped, my greatest epiphany, the moment where I realized I was in the real world. Although I learned positive aspects of my culture there were negatives that I did not expect to confront nor know what to do once I was aware. I witnessed first hand the inequality and abuse that women faced as well as medieval cultural practices such as female genital mutation. This prompted me to get involved in advocating the rights of women. I done this through the Z club I started at Auckland International College, which I was leader of.

Through my personal experiences in the hospital and with Sickle Cell Anemia I have become fascinated with the human body. I would like to pay back to the medical community, which has given me so much. I would very much like to reverse the roles and be the doctor as I help other sickle cell anemia sufferers through their toughest times and lead them through the darkness.