Family and friends, it's that time of the year where I Kindly I ask for Your Contributions and support.

     The Greater Boston Sickle Cell Disease Association is having their annual Sickle Cell walk on September 14th. I’m raising money for the walk as well as getting an Italian Ice Pushcart for the event. Families and children living with Sickle cell disease benefit greatly from your help and contributions. Help me put a smile on the face of all the kids living with Sickle Cell.

                     Some of us are challenged everyday by living with the painful crisis of Sickle cell. Together we can ease the pain. I have been personally sponsoring the Pushcart for the past few years and I’m asking for your help this time around. As a young girl growing up in Trinidad I was living my best life playing sports, running track, dancing in a group, going to the beach and playing outside all day with the neighbors once my chores were done.
My family’s favorite activity was going to the beach on Sundays. My dad made it his duty to take us to all the different beaches on Sunday and my mom would cook this big pot of Pelau also known as rice and peas. She also cooked fry chicken and potato salad. We always looked forward to eating moms’ delicious meals.
This was routine for us. We would play in the water all day and it seemed like we were always the last ones to leave the beach. One day this routine changed for me. My trips to the beach became very painful. The pain was just unbearable. I tried my best to understand why I was in so much pain, but my young mind wouldn’t not let me come to any conclusions. My siblings were very worried about me. They couldn't understand why I was screaming in the car all the way home. My mom would say to me, “Kennie what's wrong?” Because I was in so much pain, my answer to her question was always "It's hurting mom, please make it stop, please make it stop" I would cry and scream as the pain moved to different parts of my body. I remember saying to my mom "Rub it, rub it. “The pain would not go away.
My mom would take me to the hospital and sit with me all night until I was seen by a doctor. Thoughts of dying was always in my young mind. When the Dr finally saw me, he asked a question which I had no answers to. All I wanted was for the pain to stop. I was prescribed the pain magic called Morphine. I was given a dose at the hospital and told to wait a couple hours to see if it worked. The Morphine made the room spin making me feel like I was drunk. I fell asleep and when I woke up the excruciating pain was gone. I was just a little sore, but I was pain free Throughout my childhood this pain became more frequent.                                                                                                                                                                        After spending family time at the beach, it seemed like the screaming in the car made my siblings mad at me. I would later find out that my siblings never got mad. They were just scared. A day at the beach always resulted in a visit to the Emergency Room. I was always given pain magic better known as Morphine. I became so used to taking Morphine for my unbearable pain that before the Doctor could ask me what do I take for this pain, I would say Morphine. Morphine didn't always work; the times it didn't work I would have to go through this excruciating pain Lasting 4 to 5 days.
As I got older the beach was not fun anymore. I would play in the sand and watch everyone enjoy the water. I could no longer say to my family "Here comes a monster wave “. My dad finally came up with the solution that I should spend less time in the water. I was only allowed to play in the water in 5-minute intervals every 2 to 3 hours. It worked sometimes but I didn’t want the feeling of that excruciating pain anymore. When the pain moved to different parts of my body it was crippling.
      Finally, after doing some test I was given the painful results that I have Sickle Cell and was told I should drink lots of water.
     What is Sickle Cell? I had no way of comprehending what sickle was because of my young age. I was told that consuming a lot of water would help in keeping me hydrated.
Would the pain go away once I increased my water intake? The answer is No. The pain was just less frequent. I was told I wasn't going to live past the age of 15 because people with Sickle cell die young so everyday living up to the age 15, I was waiting to die. On my 15th birthday I didn’t die then I was told "You're lucky". They told me again that I would not live past the age of 21. Here I am once again thinking 21 is it. (lol) I was actually laughing at the doctors because they have no clue. Who casually tells a child they going to die? The Doctors in Trinidad. I am now 48 years old enjoying life and managing my Sickle Cell as bet as I can.
    I hated the pain and everything about it so I decided to learn my body and figure out my triggers.
My restrictions are some of the things I enjoy the most like, Going to the beach and playing in the water. Drinking lime juice, not consuming any alcohol, not overexerting my body. I take transfusions sometimes before I travel by Air.
My Sickle cell became more tolerable when I came to the US at the age 24. The hospitals had everything I needed to make this pain bearable and my new Sickle cell family at the Greater Boston Sickle Cell Disease Association has always been there for me.                          My friends and family have always been there for me. So, when I look at the Kids living with Sickle Cell Disease I know what they are going through, I know and feel their pain (tears), I know their daily struggles, I also know their lifetime struggle..
     I came up with the Push cart idea because it's fun and it's my way of keeping the kids Hydrated. The line ends when the Cart is empty it gives me joy.


     Your contributions are greatly appreciated no matter how big or small they are. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.