Use Available Resources

How your illness impacts your life will naturally influence the number of absences you have in school. Like I said before, I was absent 50% of the time. That’s a bunch of class time I missed out on. It could have been very easy for me to have used that as an excuse to get bad grades and perform poorly. Fortunately I had resources available to help me stay caught up and maintain a decent grade point average. This comes back to not being secretive about your illness and why you should be open with your teachers and school administrators.

When I was in school, my parents held a meeting each year with my school counselors and teachers. At that time my parents would educate them about Sickle Cell, the amount of time I generally missed during the year, and how the school could help me succeed. Together, they formed a plan that allowed me do well despite my challenges.

If you recall, I said, “If you find you aren’t being treated fairly or respectfully, don’t hesitate to tell your parents or guardians.” This goes for school as well as the hospital. I recall one year in high school some teachers were fighting me about allowing me to bring water to class and going to the restroom when needed. This was a concern because I was having kidney problems at the time. When I told my parents about this, they knew they had to use the resources available to them to correct the problem because the school wasn’t being very cooperative.

My parents spoke with Dr. Bedros about the matter. He referred us to a woman from the Sickle Cell Organization. With her assistance, we were able to get the school administrators to require all my teachers to be present at a meeting where they were thoroughly educated about Sickle Cell and the complications it brings. It was amazing to see how willing the school was to work with my parents when they used all their resources. (It also helped that the Sickle Cell Organization representative who attended the meeting threatened to involve the NAACP if the school didn’t cooperate.) Bad publicity can be a powerful motivator.

When you’re young it can be an unfortunate situation when the people you most need to hear you, don’t listen. I’m sure, however, you’re loved ones will. If you are having problems with a teacher, speak with your parents. You can also ask your doctor who you can talk to at your local Sickle Cell Organization. Don’t be afraid to seek out the people and the available resources that can help you can succeed.