Famous afrobeats star, Adekunle Kosoko, famously known as Adekunle Gold, opened up about his struggle with sickle cell anemia in a recent Instagram post with a snippet of his new song "5 Star". Although the news may come as a shock to the world, the Nigerian singer has been dealing with the disease, which became so painful he would beg God for mercy, since birth. Now he is thankful that he was able to power through the crises.
In a newsletter on ‘The Truth’, Gold shared what it was like growing up as a child with sickle cell disease in an effort to inspire others going through physical health or mental health struggles in life.
RELATED: What Every Sickle Cell Warrior Must Know About Their Patient Journey
Growing up with sickle cell
“It feels liberating to finally be able to share this part of my life with you, to finally be able to speak my truth. When I talk about how I struggled to get to where I am today, I need you to know that my struggle was real. I was born with sickle cell disease. It was life and death, it was physical, mental, financial, you name it and I went through it all. It was tough, painful, and frustrating. I lived with a sickness no one around me understood, I lived with restrictions all my childhood," Gold wrote.
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Because many people didn't understand the nature of the disease and why he had to follow strict restrictions and rules, much of his freedom and childhood was taken away from him.
Gold recalls not being able to participate in minor activities that children his age were able to such as going out in the rain.
"I lost friends, a lot of them. Some didn’t understand the restrictions and rules I had to live by, some just didn’t want to deal with my Illness or thought it was a nasty or contagious disease that they could catch. I was a burden for some. Living with sickle cell is far from living a normal life," Gold continued.
Some nights Gold would rebel against his parent's orders and go out into the rain anyway, which resulted in a painful wake-up call of why his parents enforced the rules in the first place.
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"The times when I insisted and rebelled against my parent’s orders and went out in the rain, I would end up having a crisis. The nights were painful and lonely, nights that no one could help me get through. It was just me, God, and my mind. The pains and shivers were unbearable," the "Orente" singer shared.
With no means to be transported to the hospital or pay for hospital bills, Gold had no choice but to endure the pain. Despite all this, his mom always saw a future for him beyond his illness.
"My mum wanted me to be well, she did her best. She took me to all the churches she could find, I’m grateful for her because she saw a future for me. A future where no illness or sickness could hold me back from my purpose. From the life, I was destined to live," Gold added.
When he was 20, Gold experienced "one of the most intense crises." The crisis was so bad that he begged God to take his life away.
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"I remember laying in my bed in the middle of the night asking for an end to it all. I begged God to take my life away because I couldn’t understand what I did to deserve the pain my body and mind were under. As usual with sickle crisis after some days, the pain subsided and God asked me; 'That end you begged me for, do you still want it?' Of course, I said no and that’s when everything changed for me. That’s when I realized that I had been given another opportunity to live my dreams and to show those that mocked me that sickle cell anemia was never going to end me, that it was never going to hold me back from my dreams and aspirations," Gold recalled.
The road ahead
With a successful career under his belt, the 35-year-old is excited to be alive and share how his disease has made him stronger.
"My mind and body were challenged and I’m stronger, more determined, and ready to take on the world. I’m ready for Adekunle Gold Supremacy, I’m ready to live and enjoy the '5 Star' life that I deserve, that my body toiled for," Gold added.
Although his "body caves in once in a while, and some symptoms come back", Gold says sickle cell has taught him resilience.
"Sickle cell anemia gave me hope, made me tough, gave me the discipline I needed to be who I am today, and built my character. I mean I went through a whole 5 weeks of back-to-back performances and didn’t fall sick," Gold shared.
In sharing his truth, it is his hope that others living with ailments will remain strong and not give up.
"Some ailments hold us back but I’m thankful this hasn’t. I want to encourage you in whatever it is you’re going through, know that there is hope. You are strong and you must not give up. YOU CAN DO THIS! Victory lies at the end for you just as it did for me," Gold wrote.
He also shared some advice for people living with sickle cell or who may know someone battling health challenges.
"If you know anyone going through any struggle, physical, health, or mental. Be kind, and show compassion. In fact, be kind to everyone, you just never know what they’re dealing with privately. Be supportive, be gentle, and love endlessly. If you are a sickler, know that the disease does not define you. Don’t allow it to limit your dreams or cap your potential. Spread your wings and dream big! Hope to see you soaring in the big skies. All my love,” he concluded.
