Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold recently opened up about the online backlash he faced after sharing his experience with sickle cell disease. In an interview with CNN, the “Orente” singer recounted being “attacked and abused” on social media following his revelation.
Adekunle Gold explained his motivation to raise awareness about sickle cell disease, emphasizing the importance of providing support and creating a safe space for those affected:
“I want people living with sickle cell to feel safe, to feel like they have help and support. They call you a sickler… Recently, when I talked about it [my struggle with sickle cell] on the song [‘5-star’], I saw a lot of tweets from people attacking and abusing me.”
The singer shared that his decision to speak out came after he mustered the courage to discuss his condition openly, acknowledging that many others might not be able to share their stories as freely:
“I’m speaking about sickle cell disease now because I just got the courage to come out and speak up openly about it. A lot of people can’t share their stories like I can.”
Adekunle Gold, who has known about his diagnosis since childhood, reflected on the challenges he faced growing up and the rebellious spirit that drove him to defy limitations imposed by his condition:
“I’ve known about my sickle cell disease all my life. I knew since I was a child that I couldn’t do certain things. They said, ‘You know you have sickle cell, you can’t play football in the rain just like your peers.’ And I was like, ‘No, I want to play.’ I’ve always been rebellious.”
“Growing up, I had crises every time. I was in the hospital back-to-back. As a child, I constantly put myself in situations that made me sick. And it affected me a lot. For example, I’m not supposed to be in the rain, so what happened to me was that I would have pains in my joints from being in the rain. But I always knew that I didn’t want this thing [sickle cell] to define me.”
Adekunle Gold’s candid discussion about his experiences aims to inspire and provide solace to others battling sickle cell disease, fostering a community of understanding and support.
