Adekunle Gold, the Nigerian musician, shared his experience of facing online trolling when he initially revealed his battle with sickle cell disease publicly.
Recalling the time when he made his struggle known, the singer mentioned that he faced criticism and online abuse following his revelation about the disease.
During a recent interview with CNN, Adekunle Gold explained that he chose to raise awareness about sickle cell disease after mustering the courage to open up about it.
Expressing his purpose, the singer stated that he aims to create a sense of safety for individuals living with sickle cell disease.
He stated, “My goal is for those living with sickle cell to feel secure, to know that they are not alone, and that there is support available.”
“People sometimes label you as ‘sickler.’ When I mentioned my struggles with sickle cell in my song ‘5-star,’ I received a lot of negative comments and attacks on social media,” he added.
Opening up about his experience, Adekunle Gold mentioned that he has been aware of his sickle cell diagnosis since childhood and that he often engaged in activities that triggered his condition.
“I have been conscious of my sickle cell disease from a very young age. Despite being told that certain activities were off-limits due to my diagnosis, I would often rebel and insist on participating,” he reminisced.
“During my childhood, I faced continuous health crises and frequent hospital visits due to my condition. I would often push myself into situations that worsened my health, such as being in the rain, causing joint pains. However, I always refused to let sickle cell define who I am,” he added.