Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold has spoken candidly about his lifelong struggle with sickle cell disease, revealing that he still experiences painful episodes despite managing the condition for decades.
In a heartfelt video interview shared on social media, the 38-year-old artist recounted his journey growing up with the illness and the pain it continues to cause.
“I still have crises,” he said, describing how the condition has shaped his life since childhood. “I have been on lifelong medication since I was five years old.”
Adekunle Gold explained that he was born to parents who both carried the sickle cell trait. “The first time I ever heard of sickle cell was when I would fall sick all the time with my joints paining me. When we talk about crisis, it’s pains in your joints — my legs, and sometimes my stomach. It’s really crazy,” he recalled.
He shared a vivid childhood memory of his mother carrying him on her back for miles to the hospital during a severe crisis. “I don’t remember how old I was, maybe five or seven. That was when the doctor told me about it and said I’d be taking folic acid and B complex for the rest of my life. And that’s been my reality ever since,” he said.
Although the singer still experiences sickle cell crises, he noted that they have become less frequent and less severe due to proper care and lifestyle changes.
“I still have crises once in a while, but not as bad as I had it when I was a child. Maybe because I’ve found a way to take care of myself more properly. And I’m grateful to God for the resources to be able to do that,” he said.
Adekunle Gold also used the platform to raise awareness about genotype testing, stressing the importance of preventing new cases.
“My vision is to make more noise about it because a lot of people don’t know about it, and the important organisations are not making enough moves. Sickle cell is most common in my country, Nigeria, and it happens when an SS matches an SS. That’s why knowing your genotype is very important — to avoid bringing more children into the world with sickle cell,” he urged.
