How Sickle Cell Advocacy Became My Calling
Purpose
&
Advocacy
🎗️🩷
Purpose & Advocacy 🎗️🩷
April 21st Issue
Advocacy was never something I planned—it was something that grew from the deepest parts of my life, from pain, love, and the relentless desire for change. There was no single moment when I decided, “This is my purpose.” Instead, it was a journey, shaped by loss, by injustice, and by the urgent need to make sure that no one else had to feel unheard or unseen the way so many warriors do.
Losing my sister, Raven, was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced. Her battle with sickle cell wasn’t just a fight against a disease—it was a fight against a system that too often failed her. I watched her strength unfold in silence, behind closed hospital curtains and late-night tears. What people didn’t see were the countless ER visits, the moments she was dismissed, unheard, and made to feel invisible by the very professionals sworn to help her.
Her pain wasn't always visible—but it was always there. That’s the truth about sickle cell. Not all scars are visual. Some live deep in our bones, in the quiet breakdowns, the lost opportunities, the constant need to smile through it just to be taken seriously. And when Raven passed, it didn’t just break my heart—it opened my eyes wider to a system that desperately needs change.
Her story is the heartbeat behind everything I do. Every blog I write, every warrior I support, every platform I speak on—Raven is my “why.”
She reminds me that our voices matter, our lives matter, and our pain deserves more than a passing glance. I carry her with me every day, not just in grief, but in purpose. Because honoring her means continuing the fight—for equity, awareness, and the dignity every sickle cell warrior deserves.
So when I say I advocate, it’s not just about policy or awareness campaigns—it’s about the real lives behind the statistics. It’s about my sister. It’s about me. It’s about all of us.
But advocacy is not just about the struggles—it’s about the victories. It’s about the power of speaking up, of refusing to be silent when we see injustice. It’s about those small but monumental wins:
When a doctor listens instead of dismisses.
When a warrior feels seen, heard, and valued.
When a law changes because we refused to back down.
When a child growing up with sickle cell knows they are not alone.
Every step I’ve taken—whether it was founding Red Stick Sickle Cell, launching Warriors Speak Out, or sharing my story—has been about creating space. Space for warriors to be heard. Space for change to happen. Space for a future where sickle cell disease is not an afterthought, but a priority.
Advocacy is a calling.
It’s not easy, and it’s not always rewarding in the way we wish it were. But it’s necessary. It’s powerful. And it’s something I will continue to do, not just for myself, but for Raven, for every warrior still fighting, and for the generations that come after us.
What has advocacy meant for you? Have you found your calling in a cause that fuels you?
Drop a comment and share your story. Let’s uplift each other and remind the world that our voices matter.
