Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Adekunle Gold, has spoken candidly about the stigma he faces as a person living with sickle cell disease.
In a recent interview with media personality Angela Yee, the “Orente” crooner revealed that people often react with fear and pity whenever he tells them about his health condition.
According to the singer, many people look at him as though he is close to death once they learn he is battling sickle cell disease.
Adekunle Gold also recounted one of the darkest moments of his life, revealing that he once prayed for death during a severe sickle cell crisis at the age of 20.
“At 20, I had the craziest crisis of my life. I told God to take my life. And my mom couldn’t even rebuke me. Normally, she would but that night, it got to a point where it felt like the only thing that makes sense should just happen,” he said.
The singer explained that the pain he experienced during the crisis was overwhelming, adding that his mother, who would usually discourage such statements, remained silent because of the severity of the situation.
Despite the painful experience, Adekunle Gold said he remains grateful to God for keeping him alive and giving him the strength to continue fighting the disease.
He noted that surviving sickle cell disease has strengthened his appreciation for life and resilience.
The award-winning singer has previously used his platform to raise awareness about sickle cell disorder and encourage people living with the condition not to give up hope.
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