Making Health About People
Warriors Who Inspire Us Everyday
Charly’s Story: For The Community
Charly is a black man in his 30s and is one of 6 siblings. He is the only sibling with Sickle Cell Anemia. He has had the condition since birth but didn’t learn much about it until high school when he started getting leg ulcers. Charly loved basketball and had dreams to become…
Ken’s Story: Helping Others Heal
In 1998, Ken was diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in his early 30s. At the time, patients diagnosed with HIV had a predicted remaining lifespan of about 6-8 years and there wasn’t much research on the condition. Soon after his diagnosis, Ken decided he wanted to participate in research to help as many people…
Nikkia’s Story: Fight On
In 2007, Nikkia was experiencing joint pain, fatigue, blue fingers, and lethargy while working as a bank teller. She would visit doctors’ offices and the emergency room (ER), and medical professionals could not give her a diagnosis. She was told that perhaps she was catching a cold or a virus. Nikkia felt like…
Trinesha’s Story: For My Son
Trinesha is in her late 30s and is living with sickle cell disease (SCD). Trinesha has had a lonely journey with the disease. Though her brother has SCD as well, his symptoms are less severe, which makes Trinesha feel that he doesn’t understand her. Trinesha was raised by a single mom who had…
Deanna’s Story: Finding Hope
In 2005, a social worker named Deanna was having severe headaches. She went to multiple physicians and specialists and no one seemed to know what the issue could be. Deanna experienced so much pain and frustration, and was desperate for answers. After multiple rounds of testing and appointments, Deanna’s doctors finally realized that her headaches…