The issues/topics I address on sickle cell are all from a personal standpoint and thankfully there is information out there on all the facts, statistics and medical breakthroughs on the disease. I only speak on the personal experiences my family and I have to go through to hopefully let people understand the numerous issues a family living with this are experiencing and how those of us who are carriers with siblings who have the disease cope. It is my sincere hope that those who are outsiders looking in, will gain a little more insight on the struggles a family faces without having to read through thousands of literature merely on the subject. For me personally, I will continue to use this platform as an outlet to help me cope as best as I can with losing my brother to this horrible disease.
Not sure which I prefer, losing a sibling when they are still young or losing them after they have become full grown adults that you have created many memories with. My brother passed away at age 33, just a few days after his birthday in the U.S where he had come to hopefully get better treatment for the liver complications he was experiencing. I was not with him when he passed and wasn't told until a day after because I was in Nigeria at the time, still newly married. My mom was with him but had commissioned my dad to be the one to tell me the news. It was the absolute worst day of my life because I was not expecting to hear this especially only after speaking with my mom on the phone a day before asking how he was doing. She obviously did not want to tell me just how bad things were with him or the stuff that happened the Friday evening that he actually passed. I was devastated beyond words and let out several screams that burst from the innermost part of my soul; I cried for days after and still do whenever I remember that he is no longer here with me because we were so close and told each-other everything, I miss him every single day.
It obviously does not matter whether a sibling passes at a young age or as an adult, the pain is still the same. I can not even begin to express the pain and agony my other siblings and especially my mom went through at the time or that they still go through today. I know I speak for all my family when I say a big part of all of us died when he did and I know that for my younger sister who is still living with the disease, we pamper and love on her just a little more than usual. It is the absolute worst thing when a parent must bury their own child and so I know what anyone must be going through who has had to do it whether sickle cell related or not. We can only take things one day at a time and though the pain never truly goes away, it maybe gets just a little easier to accept.
May God bless every family who has lost a loved one to sickle cell or any other disease or just to unfortunate circumstances of any kind. I know the Lord sees our pain and though we may never understand why these things happen, we should rest assured that our loved ones have gone to a place where they will no longer experience hurt or pain of any kind.
As always, thank you for stopping by.
Love Always
I can relate with your story as I have also lost two cousins who are siblings to this sickle cell disease... We were very close. One was 33 (male) and the other 38(female)...their deaths shook me a whole lot, but hey who are we to question God...life goes on either way.
ReplyDeleteMy dear take heart and continue to reminisce on the good times you shared with your brother and know that he's in a better place...
Thank you so much Deji and I am truly very sorry for your loss...as I say, we can only just take things one day at a time...God bless
Delete