They said I won't make it past 18, says sickle cell anaemia survivor

According to CDC, sickle cell is a genetic condition present at birth, inherited when a child receives two genes-one from each parent-that code for abnormal hemoglobin. [iStockphoto]

Immediately after Faith Kwoba was born, her parents noticed something was wrong. Her skin was yellowish, and her limbs and body were swollen.

But it wasn't until she was 3.5 years old that she was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia, a condition that would shape her entire life. Yet, Faith has spent every day since defying the odds that others might not have accepted.