Sharp, sudden pain. Intense throbbing. Stabbing pains. This is what a pain crisis can feel like for a child living with sickle cell disease. Pain crises are experiences that brothers Malik and Syncere know all too well.

Those living with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that are formed in a curved, sickle shape. The sickle-shaped cells have difficulty passing through small blood vessels and can stick together to block blood flow. This can result in anemia, pain crises, and other complications.

As the largest pediatric sickle cell program in Chicago, our expert team cares for Malik and Syncere and hundreds of kids just like them to help reduce the severity and frequency of these pain crises.

Malik, 16, and Syncere, 12, were each diagnosed with sickle cell mere days after they were born.

“My first experience with sickle cell was after Malik was born,” explained Sharletta, Malik and Syncere’s mom. “I was terrified. I didn’t know what this meant for my baby. I didn’t know what sickle cell was.”

Sharletta brought Malik to La Rabida just two weeks after learning of the diagnosis to get the care and guidance they needed.  “I’ve learned everything about sickle cell from La Rabida. I’ve learned a lot about pain, how to help the boys, and signs to look out for. [Their care team] has also taught them how to manage their pain themselves,” shared Sharletta. From routine clinic visits since the boys were babies to the occasional inpatient stay, Malik and Syncere have grown up in the halls of the Gem on the Lake.

“La Rabida is our second home.”

We first talked with the boys back in 2014 during one of their visits to the clinic. Today, Malik is in the 10th grade and Syncere the 7th. The boys have their condition under control and are able to live happy, full lives.

This story was featured in the September 2021 issue of Currents. Read the full issue here.