Sickle Cell and the Unequal Realities of Rare Conditions

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is often described as a rare condition. But for many of us, that word feels misleading. Growing up in London, a city with one of the largest Black African populations in Europe, sickle cell never seemed rare. I was the only person in my class living with it, yet as I grew older, I met many others who shared similar experiences and challenges. It felt like a community, not a rarity.