‘I just want my life back’ - Sickler needs hip-replacement surgery to feel normal again

"I just want back the life that I had before."

This is the plea of 22-year-old Chris-Ann Ward, who has been a frequent visitor to hospitals over the last two years, due to complications associated with sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell is a blood disorder that, inherited at birth, disrupts the delivery of oxygen to tissues. In cases like that of Ward, the blood supply to part of the bone can be disrupted, depriving the bone tissue of essential nutrients and oxygen. This is called avascular necrosis.

As a result of this breakdown, Ward must undergo a double-hip replacement or risk paralysis from the waist down.

"The sickle cell that I have, it can damage any or every bone in your body, and since recently, it has damaged my hip bones on both sides, but the right one is worse, so I have replace that one first. So basically, sickle cell eats out the ball and socket joint, so there's no joint there, it's just cartilage rubbing against each other and there's no blood circulation that's going there."

Ward said that after recognising the defect in her hips, doctors attempted a decompression surgery but the efforts failed as her ailment was too severe.

"Normally they would wait until you're a bit older but for me, that's not an option because of how damaged it is at this point."

After determining that a hip replacement was her only course of action, Ward said she has been living in extreme pain, only finding solace in the pain medicines that she has since become dependent on.

EXTREMELY PAINFUL

"It is extremely painful. So, right now I'm basically bedridden. I'm not supposed to do excessive walking and such. Because of that I had to stop working, I had to stop going to school. I used work at a call centre and I had to stop that too, because I was always in the hospital because of how painful it is."

Ward said the expenses have also been taking a toll on her, as one week's worth of medication sets her back $35,000 each time.

"Everything is extremely expensive and it doesn't get any easier and it's been a while. Before I got sick, I was saving and it's because I know that sometimes I'm in the hospital and when I'm in the hospital, I can't work. So, I would normally save and make sure that when I'm in the hospital I have money do certain procedures," she said.

"Then when I got sick, at first it was fine because I was like okay, I can use my savings that I had. And then it became for a longer period of time and my family had to get involved because there was nothing else I could do."

Ward said that the cost to undertake the surgery at The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is more than $500,000, and it will take an additional $500,000 to buy implants.

Along with the financial struggle, Ward said this complete shift in her reality has also taken a toll on her mentally because she has had to press pause on all her hopes and dreams.

"It's hard to used to have a life and then have to go through this, being so young and knowing that you want to be better and you don't just want someone to see you for your illness, because I've always struggled with that.

MENTAL HEALTH

"It's always Chris-Ann, the girl who has sickle cell, so I've always tried to work 10 times as hard as everybody else to make sure I got my subjects, make sure I finish college, make sure I did this, make sure I did that. And then for something to happen so bad in that short space of time that change your world completely, it's not the easiest thing. It takes a toll on your mental health and it's hard, it's extremely hard to live on a day to day life on medication solely.

"I just want to reach a point where I don't have to take medication as I wake up. Or I don't need to take medication because I need to go outside and do something. I just want back the life that I had before where I could do what I want, pursue my dreams and become something in society other from just another sickler."

Persons wishing to help Chris-Ann can contact her at (876) 804-7080 or donate to her GoFundme at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-21yr-old-chrisann-to-do-a-hip-replacement

or via bank transfer

Account #065152290

Chris-Ann Ward

NCB Duke Street

Savings account