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Personal Accounts
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Dominique Friend
Dominique Friend is an advocate for sickle cell disease awareness and research who currently resides in South Central Pennsylvania. She is a wife, the mother of five children and has one granddaughter. Although her illness prevented her from graduating high school, she obtained her GED and then completed post-secondary courses in Creative Writing. Now a published author, Dominique has captured the essence of her daily struggles with the unpredictability and pain of sickle cell disease in her autobiography, SICKLE, A Story of Pain, Purpose and Perseverance.
Ms. Friend has become an activist who is raising awareness of sickle cell disease and advocating for improved treatment for people living the disease. She is the founder of the Sickle Cell Encouragement Group, a support group in her local community, and she organized the first Sickle Cell Gala in York, Pennsylvania, generating funds to assist individuals with the disease obtain specialized medical care.
Dominique can be contacted by email at sickle1000@yahoo.com. |
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Shernett Martin
Shernett Martin is determined to beat the odds. The 37-year-old teacher, librarian, workshop developer and author has been battling sickle cell disease all her life, but refuses to allow the incurable blood cell disorder to slow her down. Instead, she has become a visible spokesperson for sickle cell sufferers, a community activist in the fight against poverty and inequity and a mentor to others also affected with the disease. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts from York University, Toronto, Ontario in 1995. She is the recipient of the African Canadian Achievement Award for Community Service in 2005. Ms. Martin is a teacher with the Toronto District School Board. She is a published writer and a motivational speaker. She lives in Woodbridge with her husband and two healthy children.
Ms. Martin’s self-published book, My Friend Chantel Has Sickle Cell Disease, tells the story of how a young girl copes with a serious illness through the eyes of a friend. A teacher, mother and powerful speaker, Shernett shares her perspective on living with the disease and powerful suggestions for parents.
Shernett can be contacted at by email at shernett_martin@yahoo.ca. |
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