The Deadly Disease by Keazia

The Deadly Disease by Keazia - February 2025 Scholarship Essay

Sickle cell is a historic “black disease” which affects 20 million people worldwide according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Out of millions, it affects me and my family. The trait is hard to live with, and the prevention is temporary. The trait affects me and my mom and our wines of pain combine across my thin walls. The amount of effort put into this disease is few, and people aren’t formally educated enough about it as you would think. Many questions have gone unanswered as we have been dealing with this for decades, and to a common person, their perception is solely the word “anemia.” The conversation begins with,“Oh, you must be cold a lot?” a question that is asked so much;This reflects a broader issue of miseducation that oversimplifies a complex condition, reducing it to a stereotype.These misconceptions show how urgently the medical community and the general public need to be better educated about sickle cell disease.One factor contributing to the health inequalities experienced by sickle cell disease patients is the absence of reliable information. This misinformation makes it difficult for many people, including my loved ones, to get the proper care and support. This fact encourages me to pursue a career in medicine because I want to close these knowledge gaps and promote efficient therapies and educational programs.