By: LoudPen

Shambrille Fennell, originally from Dallas, is a sickle-cell warrior. After suffering a stroke when she was five years old, doctors diagnosed her with sickle cell anemia. She has been battling the blood disease ever since.

She receives monthly blood transfusions to minimize pain crises and has undergone multiple surgeries to place and remove ports that help with medication and transfusions.

Despite the many complications she continues to endure — sometimes asking God why she must endure this pain — she does not pity herself or see herself as a victim. Instead, she believes her purpose is to inspire and encourage others.

“Just keep going,” Fennell said. “Don’t ever give up.”

More than 100,000 people in the United States have sickle cell disease, primarily affecting people of African descent. One out of every 365 Black or African American children born each year have sickle cell.

The American Red Cross can help sickle cell warriors like Fennell, thanks to generous blood donations. Blood transfusions from donors from people of the same race or similar ethnicity are important in ensuring the best transfusion results to help alleviate the pain of a sickle cell crisis.

People with sickle cell disease may need as many as 100 units of blood each year. Therefore, Fennell and her mother, Colette Boyce, encourage people to donate blood.

“While her journey has its ups and downs, there are those whose journey is much more difficult,” Boyce said. “So, it is important to raise awareness, donate blood and contribute to the cause in helping those Black and brown patients that suffer from sickle cell.”

A sickle cell pain crisis develops when sickle-shaped red blood cells block blood flow to the chest, abdomen and joints. Acute pain crises have kept Fennell in the hospital for long periods to manage the crippling pain. The pain varies in intensity and can last from a few hours to a few days or weeks.

The pain is just one of the many symptoms associated with sickle cell. Others include frequent swelling caused by blocked blood circulation. Treatments like blood transfusions can relieve pain and help prevent related complications, but there's no cure for sickle cell anemia.

Fennell’s sickle cell journey has been much more difficult as an adult. In the past, sickle cell was considered a childhood disease because patients with it did not live into adulthood.

Many doctors Fennell encountered outside of pediatrics shared with her that they were never taught anything about sickle cell in medical school. This revelation left her with a limited number of doctors to choose from who specialized in the field.

Although her journey has been challenging, and she has lost some close friends to this disease, Fennell continues to fight. Through the pain and hospital stays, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and has plans to pursue a Ph.D.

She says she draws her strength from her family, especially her mother. Boyce sees her daughter not only as an inspiration to others, but she calls Fennell her personal “shero.” If her daughter can overcome the challenges of living with sickle cell, Boyce knows others can too.

“Don’t give up, keep fighting,” Boyce said. “Find someone to talk to, someone to confide in. Sometimes you feel so alone and by yourself. But find someone you can talk to, a mentor, someone who has gone through the same thing.”