On May 4, 2023, UHN’s RBCD clinic kicked off our Wholistic Health Series with Certified Health Coach, Aisha Saintiche. This session explored mental health and why it matters for people with Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, and other Red Blood Cell Disorders.

Counter-Storytelling is “a method of telling the stories of people whose experiences not often told.” By telling these stories, we can expose, analyze, and challenge racism as well as promote social justice. In this series, we tell counter stories to highlight the challenges and triumphs around community advocacy and Sickle Cell Disease. Beginning in the 1960s, Black Nurses in Canada and the United Kingdom, who were also battling workplace anti-Black racism, advocated for care for Sickle Cell Disease. In honour of Nursing Week, this article explores counter-storytelling through some of the many accomplishments of the Canadian Sickle Cell advocate, Miss Lillie Johnson.

May 8th is Thalassemia Awareness Day – a day dedicated to increase knowledge and awareness of Thalassemia as well as to provide support for impacted peoples.

Knowing yourself means knowing about your strengths and your weaknesses. When you have a chronic disorder, like Thalassemia, everything may seem like a weakness. However, if one looks deeply enough, one may see that this is not the case.

Counter-Storytelling is “a method of telling the stories of people whose experiences not often told.” By telling these stories, we can expose, analyze, and challenge racism as well as promote social justice. In this series, we tell counter stories to highlight the challenges and triumphs around community advocacy and Sickle Cell Disease.

This article explores counter-storytelling through the lens of the Black Panther Party.

As a child, I learnt ways to drown out the noise on the outside by managing the noise on the inside. Pain never showed on my face.

It is Tiana’s 6-month follow-up appointment. She is sitting in the clinic room, looking around on the wall. Tiana notices research studies, the computer on the desk, and the medical equipment around her. As Tiana takes in the clinic, she begins to gather her thoughts about her health from the past six months to share with her doctor.

A Business Developer, Registered Nurse, MBA candidate, and Board Trustee of the Thalassemia Foundation – Shirin is always on the go! We caught up with Shirin and asked about her top five things to do during transfusion.

The University Health Network's Red Blood Cell Disorders Clinic is inviting patients, families, and caregivers impacted by Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, and other Red Blood Disorders to join us for a FREE Five-Part Wholistic Health Series.

On January 26, 2023, Ontario Health launched new health standards to improve care for people living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), setting the stage for high quality care.

Money makes the world go round. Although money is not everything, it is certainly important enough to help us survive. To make money, we need to have or get…

From the time we are born, we are asked as children, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ Then, from childhood to adulthood, you change your mind, probably…

A primary care provider is the person who is most responsible for your overall health care across your life. They can either be a family doctor or a nurse practitioner…

The Patient Relations Department at the University Health Network helps to support patients and families through their health care experiences by addressing questions, complaints, suggestions, and compliments…

College and university can be a new and exciting journey for many – in addition to pursuing meaningful learning, post-secondary education is an opportunity…

People who live with sickle cell disease (SCD) are constantly fighting to overcome whatever complications and challenges that head our way…

Many years ago, as a young-hearted 25-year-old, after graduating with my Masters of Counseling Psychology, my ambition was to work in counseling…

A genetic illness, Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) can affect anyone. It is commonly diagnosed in people of African, Hispanic-American, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Mediterranean descent.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is famously understood as the world’s first “molecular disease.” However, this medical model ignores the social aspects of SCD, including disability, race, and gender.