Afrobeats star Adekunle Gold has spoken candidly about his lifelong struggle with sickle cell disease, revealing that he continues to experience painful health crises despite improved management over the years.
Speaking on the RealTalk podcast, the Coco Money singer recalled his first encounter with the illness as a child between the ages of five and seven, when his mother carried him on her back for miles to a hospital after a severe attack.
“The first time I noticed that I had it was the night I fell sick and my dad wasn’t home. My mum put me on her back and we walked miles to the hospital,” he recounted.
Adekunle explained that both his parents were carriers of the sickle cell trait and unknowingly passed it on to him.
“Unfortunately for me, my parents are sickle cell, and they brought me to the world. I used to fall sick all the time with pain in my joints, my legs, and sometimes my stomach. The crisis can be really crazy,” he said.
The award-winning musician shared that since his diagnosis, he has been on lifelong medication ,mainly folic acid and vitamin B complex, which helps manage the condition.
“The doctor told me then that I would be taking folic acid and B complex for the rest of my life. That has been my reality, and I still do till today,” he said.
Although he still experiences occasional crises, Adekunle said they are now milder thanks to better self-care, discipline, and access to quality healthcare.
“I still have crises once in a while but not as bad as when I was a child. I’ve learned how to take care of myself properly, and I’m grateful to God for the resources to do that,” he added.
He also used the platform to advocate for genotype awareness, urging couples to get tested before marriage to prevent the transmission of the disease.
“Knowing your genotype is very important. Two people with the SS genotype shouldn’t have children together because that’s how more kids end up with sickle cell,” he warned.
Adekunle Gold said he plans to use his platform to increase awareness about sickle cell disease, especially in Nigeria where the condition remains widespread but under-discussed.
“My vision is to make more noise about it because many people don’t know enough, and health organisations need to do more,” he concluded.
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