Triumph Over Sickle Cell: Joy Omowunmi Graduates with First-Class Honors Despite Health Battles
Throughout her first year, she walked to classes and lab practicals with the walking frame, facing pain and shame. Despite options for a cab, the weight of the frame and impatience of drivers compelled her to persevere on foot.
AKACHI NOEL 
In an inspiring tale of perseverance, Sanni Joy Omowunmi, who battled sickle cell while pursuing her education, has defied all odds by earning her bachelor's degree with first-class honors in Cell Biology and Genetics at the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Joy, sharing her remarkable journey on Twitter, expressed gratitude for graduating with two legs instead of the four legs she initially faced, referencing her Sickle Cell complication - Avascular Necrosis of the hipbone - upon entering university. Despite doctors' predictions that she could never walk without hip replacement surgery on both hips, Joy's determination led her from crutches to a walking frame.
Throughout her first year, she walked to classes and lab practicals with the walking frame, facing pain and shame. Despite options for a cab, the weight of the frame and impatience of drivers compelled her to persevere on foot.
Joy's health challenges took a toll socially, mentally, and physically. Yet, her resilience shone as she wrote examinations from a hospital bed during sickle cell crises. She emphasized the constant need for two bottles of water, a jacket, and socks, carrying scars from allergic reactions to injections given during pain crises.
Despite the struggles, Joy, who also completed a Health Safety and Environment course, expressed joy in graduating with a first-class. She acknowledged her friends, mother, and sisters for their constant support and reminders to care for herself, take medications, stay hydrated, and avoid stress and cold.
