Stigmatisation adding more burden sickle cell warriors -Timileyin Edwin.

Timileyin Edwin, a woman in her mid 30s who lives with the sickle cell condition, is the CEO of Crimsonbow Sickle Cell initiative, an ambassador of Non Communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance and high level advocate of the body. The award-winning campaigner who sits on several boards that address both sickle cell and NCDs across Nigeria and Africa, speaks with YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, on life as a sickle cell warrior and other issues.

Will you say someone with sickle cell can live a full life?

Someone living with sickle cell can live a full life; I for one live with sickle cell and I have lived for the past 36 years with a vibrant career and I am an extremely fulfilled person. I know a person living with sickle cell can live a full life because my mother was a few months shy of 60 when she died and before she died, her three children were adults and she had a great career. She didn't let sickle cell limit her and it's the same with me. I don't let sickle cell limit me. Sickle cell can be quite dicey and limiting but can one live a full life? Definitely; I work with other people within Crimsonbow who are in their late 30s, early 40s and mid 50s who are also living with sickle cell and have vibrant careers. One of them is Adebola Adedeji, one of the MDs of Ecobank subsidiary, I have another person who is a manger in First Bank, her name is Adebola Adeyale, she's in her mid 40s and she has a very promising career. I can mention so many people living with sickle cell who are living full lives, they are married, they have children and they are doing well for themselves. So it's possible to live a full life despite the fact that sickle cell can be limiting. It mainly depends on the ability to balance out the difficulty that comes with the condition and being able to ensure that one enjoys life

What inspired you to set up Crimsonbow SC initiative?

It was inspired by my life experience; experiencing a breakup in relationship that was bound for marriage at a time I was about 27 or 28 was the inspiration. It was a wakeup call for me to ensure more information is passed about the condition and myths about the condition are dispersed. That experience; being rejected by the love of my life, who was almost my husband because we were engaged at that period made me realise that a lot of people still live in ignorance which leads to fear that makes people do things that they won't do normally. This experience also made me understand that though people who live...