Femi is happily coasting on honeymoon avenue with his new girlfriend Chanice. However, his anxiety begins to rise after she reveals that she has the genetic condition sickle cell anaemia.
What’s It About?
The recently released short film His Sickled Journey, serves as both an educational short film highlighting an important medical condition and also a great romantic comedy about two people finding love. Written by Phil Ossai (who also directed the film) & David Ajayi (who plays the co-lead, Femi), His Sickled Journey follows Femi & Chanice’s (played by Vivienne Iseobor) blossoming relationship as Femi has he understands more about his partner’s condition. The short film does a great job of highlighting the seriousness of Sickle Cell Disease, whilst providing moments of comic relief and a loving story that make the film approachable for teenage audiences. As a result, it is available free to watch on YouTube via Million Youth Media.
What’s Sickle Cell Disease?
Sickle cell is a disorder of the haemoglobin in the red blood cells.
Haemoglobin is the substance in red blood cells that is responsible for the colour of the cell and for carrying oxygen around the body. The condition can only be inherited, providing that both parents have the sickle cell gene.
The main symptoms of sickle cell disorder are anaemia and episodes of severe pain. Pain occurs when the cells change shape after oxygen has been released. The red blood cells then stick together, causing blockages in the small blood vessels.
These painful episodes are referred to as sickle cell crises. They are treated with strong painkillers such as morphine to control the pain.
There are an estimated 15,000 people in the U.K currently with the condition, with many more being carriers of gene carriers. In the U.K., the black community is disproportionately affected, with up to 1 in 4 people of West African descent being carriers of the gene, and 1 in 10 people from Caribbean backgrounds having the gene.
You can watch His Sickled Journey on YouTube below.
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