My brother’s sickle cell disease made me a doctor

Tartania Brown is from New York City and she has sickle cell anaemia, a genetic disorder that affects red blood cells and can be fatal. At one stage, Tartania didn’t know if she would reach her 20s. Her brother Christopher also has the condition, and when he was just four years old, he had multiple strokes which left him unable to speak or move. It was a challenging time for Tartania's whole family, but also transformative for her. Seeing the way the doctors and nurses cared for her brother, she was inspired to study medicine herself. After much hard work, she is a palliative care physician and looks after patients with sickle cell anaemia. Tartania's story is part of the film and photo series: www.untoldsicklecellstories.com. (Photo credit: Dr Alexander Kumar on behalf of untoldsicklecellstories.)