Special Attention

Perhaps you’re thinking, “All the things listed in the above section is exactly the kind of attention I don’t want to bring to myself.” Maybe you don’t want to be treated any differently than anybody else. Perhaps you don’t want other kids thinking you have special privileges and tease you about it. I can tell you I understand if you feel this way. I can also tell you what I experienced.

By being open and honest with people, by educating others about why I have these needs, I don’t get teased; I haven’t had to worry about sticky unpleasant labels being attached to me; and I can’t ever recall being ridiculed. Not as a child in elementary school. Not in middle school. Not in high school, and not as an adult. Instead, people respect and admire me for the way I cope with such a difficult illness.

Though you may not like the attention Sickle Cell sometimes draws to you, to some extent it is a reality you have to accept. When it comes to certain things, in order to stay alive, you may have to be treated somewhat differently at times. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do in order to stay healthy. Look at it this way: a blind person has certain needs; a diabetic has specific needs; and an individual confined to a wheelchair has special needs. There is no shame in requiring the things you do.
When I think of “being treated differently,” I think of people looking on me in a pitiful way wondering how they can help the poor fragile creature known as Jon Monk. Drawing from my personal experiences, I can’t think of a time when I have felt others were “treating me differently” in this way.

Instead, I’ve felt people’s compassion and their willingness to help. The “different treatment,” in this sense, is simply awareness on the part of my friends. They are aware of the room temperature and how it affects me; they are sensitive to the fact that I need to eat frequently. This kind of treatment is a reflection of their concern for my well-being. Their desire to help comes, not because they view me as weak, but because they see my strength.

Be open and honest about your illness with your teachers and others in your life. Allow them to see your strength. In doing so you will also experience the kindness of others in positive ways.