Ep. 10. Surviving #ThroughThePain

Interview with Sickle Cell Survivor Wunmi Bakare. Wunmi is a patient ambassador and sickle cell advocate for Health Union and AllStripes. She was diagnosed with the most severe type of sickle cell disease - Hemoglobin SS - at 18 months but participated in a clinical trial at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH-NHLBI) where she received an allogeneic stem cell transplant. While still facing challenges, Bakare thrives as the Director of her own public relations agency and advocates for the global sickle cell community, home and abroad. Now 34, she works across diverse disciplines - Consumer Brands, Healthcare & Non-Profit - focusing on brand partnerships, content creation and influencer marketing. In 2021, she launched “The Diary of a #SickleCellProdigy” Content Series, in partnership with WeGoHealth and the Cure SCD Initiative. The awareness campaign gives audiences a closer look at a patient's life with and without sickle cell disease. “My goal is to empower and support the next generation of patients with invisible disabilities like sickle cell,” says Bakare. “Sickle Cell is a disease, it is not a verdict of who we are as people. For me, it is the rock on which I’ve built my perfectly imperfect life.” Her legacy is advocating for social causes close to her heart including child adoptions and gender equity. She is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin and the President of The Gift of Adoption Fund - WA Chapter. Purchase a Survive #ThroughThePain T-Shirt https://bit.ly/35HiYaL This episode was brought to you in part by Unleashing Royalty: A R.O.Y.A.L Formula to Help You Walk into Queendom with Purpose. Available on: Amazon https://amzn.to/3IJSi7n Barnes & Noble https://bit.ly/3MnyLMa Make sure you follow us on social media. https://linktr.ee/ThroughThePainPodcast Support this podcast with a small monthly donation to help sustain future episodes. https://anchor.fm/throughthepain/support Our Production Team: Executive Producer -Dima Hendricks Producer- Michael Hendricks