Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold has opened up about his lifelong battle with sickle cell disease, sharing his experiences and determination to raise awareness and support for others living with the condition. In a candid interview with CNN, the artist discussed the challenges he has faced, including frequent hospitalizations and severe joint pain, and his commitment to using his platform to inspire and support others.
Despite his struggles, Adekunle Gold has refused to let the disease define him. He spoke about his rebellious spirit as a child, often engaging in activities like playing football in the rain, which exacerbated his condition. “I knew since I was a child that I couldn’t do certain things. They said, ‘You know you have sickle cell, you can’t play football in the rain just like your peers.’ And I was like, ‘No, I want to play.’ I’ve always been rebellious,” he said.
Adekunle Gold has faced online abuse and attacks since speaking out about his condition, but he remains undeterred. He emphasized the importance of creating a safe and supportive community for people with sickle cell disease, encouraging them to speak openly about their struggles and seek help when needed. His song “5 Star” is a tribute to sickle cell survivors and aims to break the stigma and silence surrounding the disease.
“I want people living with sickle cell to feel safe, to feel like they have help and support. They call you a sickler… Recently, when I talked about it [my struggle with sickle cell] on the song [‘5-star’], I saw a lot of tweets from people attacking and abusing me. I’m speaking about sickle cell disease now because I just got the courage to come out and speak up openly about it. A lot of people can’t share their stories like I can,” Adekunle Gold explained.
