Man, 34, who lives in pain every day says ‘my body betrayed me’

A 34-year-old man has shared the relentless pain he faces every day due to his health condition. Habeeb Muhammed was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at the age of four months.

“It hurts every day. Every day,” he said. “Sometimes I might not take anything for that pain, paracetamol would work and sometimes I might have to go to hospital.”

He described his suffering as a sharp, unpredictable agony. Speaking to the MEN, he added: “The pain is hard to explain, for some people it’s different, for me it’s like a sharp pain. Right now I’m in pain, it’s nothing compared to the pain I’ve experienced in the past.

“But in an hour I don’t know if it will get worse, it’s unpredictable.” Habeeb was the only one in his family diagnosed with the disease, Mirror reports.

Sickle cell disease comprises a group of genetic disorders that affect red blood cells, with sickle cell anemia being the most severe type. It is more common among those of African or Caribbean descent.

The disease causes abnormally shaped red blood cells, which can lead to shortened lifespans and blocked blood vessels. Despite the lifelong challenges it presents, treatments are available to manage many of the symptoms associated with sickle cell disease.

According to the NHS, people born with sickle cell tend to have problems from childhood, although some children have few symptoms and lead normal lives most of the time. The main symptoms of sickle cell disease are:

• painful episodes called sickle cell attacks, which can be very severe and last for days or weeks
• an increased risk of serious infections
• anemia (where the red blood cells cannot carry enough oxygen around the body), which can cause tiredness and difficulty breathing

Habeeb’s life at 34 is far from what might be considered ordinary, with sickle cell disease infiltrating every facet of his existence socially, romantically and professionally. He describes a deep sense of betrayal by his own body because of the condition.

“Stress can trigger a crisis, so it’s hard to balance my day-to-day life,” he explained. “At university I worked at McDonald’s, I would go to work and the next day I wouldn’t show up to university.

“My friends would worry and ask why they were missing classes and then they would read about it on the internet. You can read about what the sickle is, but you don’t know how it affects people’s daily lives.

“I can’t walk more than ten meters because if I do I get exhausted and can’t do anything for the rest of the day. I’m between jobs right now because not many places are willing to take someone who might not be able to come the next day.

The release of the new Netflix series Supacell coincided with Habeeb sharing his personal journey. The show centers around a group of individuals who are bound by their “superpowers” ​​– triggered by a sickle cell trait.

Supacell has been hailed for its portrayal of the black British experience. The series follows the characters Tazer, Andre, Rodney, Sabrina and Michael, all residents of South London who unexpectedly gain superpowers.

Their new abilities of telekinesis, super-speed, flight and invisibility are cleverly woven into the narrative to address serious issues. These include the treatment of black women in healthcare, everyday racism and the scourge of knife crime.

The show’s creator, Rapman, shared his hopes that Supacell will spark a meaningful dialogue about these societal issues and help remove the stigma attached to them. “It’s something that has always affected our community and we’ve never understood it,” he explained to the BBC. “I wanted to show how a disease like this can make you extraordinary.”

While the health struggles Habeeb faces in real life are not identical to those depicted on screen, he appreciates the awareness that shows like Supacell bring to conditions like sickle cell. “For someone to bring that kind of awareness is very positive,” commented Habeeb.

“Not just for him, but for people to have knowledge. It also lets people know that even if you have sickle cell, you can do what you want to do, you can be the person you want to be.”

He added: “I hope that some people who have seen Supacell will be encouraged to help people with sickle cell, such as by donating blood. But, what I really want is for people in the medical industry to follow up and do more research on what sickle cell is. and see what pain people go through.”