Nigerian artiste, Adekunle Kosoko, popularly known as Adekunle Gold, once again shared a message of hope with those battling Sickle Cell Anemia.
The ‘Orente’ crooner, who has dealt with the condition since birth, took a moment during his recent performance to address fellow sickle cell survivors, offering words of encouragement.
“To all our warriors fighting sickle cell, know this: If I can persevere, so can you. I’ve lived with sickle cell since day one, fought through it my entire life, and yet here I stand. I’m grateful for the ability to manage it. Despite the odds, I rarely fall ill. It’s a blessing,” he expressed.
He urged survivors not to let their condition define or limit them, drawing from his own experience of overcoming crises to reach his current stature.
“I’m reaching out to all of you battling this, enduring the pain and crises. Don’t let it hold you back. Look at me, achieving greatness despite sickle cell. Let nothing deter you.”
In a 2022 newsletter, Gold opened up about his lifelong struggle with sickle cell anemia, recounting the limitations it imposed during his childhood.
He wrote, “My childhood was marked by restrictions. Simple joys like playing freely or dancing in the rain were denied to me. Whenever I defied my parents and ventured out in the rain, I’d inevitably suffer a crisis.”
Reflecting on the toll the illness took, he lamented the loss of freedom, childhood innocence, and friendships.
“Sickle cell robbed me of so much – my freedom, my innocence. I lost friends, many couldn’t comprehend the rules I lived by, while others feared or misunderstood the illness,” he revealed.