Some may call her a survivor. But she dubs herself a ‘warrior’. After a near-death experience, she turned her pain into a passion. Meet United Kingdom-based property lawyer Tola Olatunji, the sickle cell ‘warrior’, who is currently in Nigeria to inspire and empower people living with the condition.EVELYN OSAGIE writes on her pain-to- passion story and more
Tola Olatunji is a fighter. And it is not because she is a lawyer. Tola has had to brace up against the challenge of living with sickle cell anaemia to become an accomplished lawyer, mother, founder of Rock Bottom Sickle Cell Initiative and author of Rock Bottom. Rock Bottom is a memoir inspired by her personal experience as a sickle cell survivor, especially from her last crisis which was further complicated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bedridden for three months, the author escaped death only by the skin of her teeth.
Her beginning
Tola, originally from Benin City, Nigeria, now resides in the United Kingdom where she works as a property lawyer. Growing up with sickle cell and three siblings, two of whom are sickle cell warriors, Tola has witnessed firsthand the challenges of living with the disease.
Hear her: “It’s a constant fight daily. Fighting it daily is not easy. You have to wake up every day to fight. It means having to choose each day not to allow the pain to keep you down. For instance, growing up in Benin, I don’t remember being in class at all during my primary school days. I was always sick. I don’t remember attending any sort of exams; I was always doing my exams at home. And I was always in and out of hospital a lot. To have come this far with care and support of my family, I can say I’m God’s favourite child. But you must say ‘no, it won’t stop me today’, each and every day.”
And having to fight and win each day, like Tola does, is no mean feat. Little wonder then that she dubs herself a ‘warrior’.
“I took my drugs, fought against it and I am here. When one is constantly fighting, it means one is a warrior,” she said.
After a near-death experience that left her believing she might never walk again, Tola had to relearn how to walk, a journey that profoundly impacted her perspective on life. “It was during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was in law school then. It was very difficult. I had COVID and bedridden for three months. I had to learn the things that my body can take.”
Her inspiration
Motivated by her struggles, Tola felt compelled to share her story by writing Rock Bottom, thereby offering encouragement to others facing similar hardships.
And while recognising the lack of sickle cell foundations in her hometown of Benin City, she saw an opportunity to raise awareness and provide support to those in need by establishing Rock Bottom Sickle Cell Initiative.
Last Saturday, May 4, she formally unveiled the book and her non-profit to a selected audience at the Horatio Marquee, Akhionbare Street, GRA, Benin City, by 10am. Partnering with Edo State Centre for Women and Youth Development on unveiling of her initiative, the event was attended by dignitaries led by Edo State’s First Lady Betsy Obaseki, who was the special guest of honour.
Her foundation
Her non-profit focuses on providing supports for sickle cell warriors. Through her dedication and passion, Tola strives to touch lives and make a difference in the lives of sickle cell warriors, ensuring they are not limited by their condition. Her mission, she says, is not only to educate others about sickle cell disease but also to build a community where warriors feel understood and empowered.
“I want to reach out to a lot of warriors. I created the foundation to help people like me. That experience made me think there are a lot of people going through the same. We don’t have to live a limited lifestyle because of sickle cell. We have to live our full lives. There are people living their full lives. My siblings and I are doing well.”
Tola says she believes in collective effort in making a difference in the lives of people with sickle cell. Besides her collaboration with Edo State, she is also working with others, such Dr. Suchitra Kataria, the Singapore-based specialist behind the “My Sickle Care” App. Such a move demonstrates a commitment to leveraging technology for better access to diagnoses and care worldwide. Their joint efforts in SCD education and counseling with the government and UNICEF in parts of India highlight a global approach to tackling the challenges of sickle cell disease.
According to her, the support of the First Lady underscored the importance of community engagement and government involvement in addressing sickle cell disease. By facilitating connections between stakeholders and contributing to efforts to reduce the prevalence of the disease, “Her Excellency’s collaboration would strengthen the foundation’s impact at a local level. With such partnerships in place, Rock Bottom Sickle Cell Initiative is poised to make significant strides in its mission to support sickle cell warriors and raise awareness about the disease”.
Her book
Tola’s courage knows no bounds. Tola’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience and the impact one person can have in creating positive change. Despite the pain and challenges she faced, she bravely chronicled her journey in her book, Rock Bottom, inviting readers to experience her trials and triumphs alongside her. Sharing such deeply personal experience requires immense bravery, but Tola’s determination to inspire and uplift others drove her to relive her most difficult moments.
The book raises awareness by offering eye-opening tips on sickle cell anemia, inspiring warriors of the disease and enlightening the public that being a victim of sickle cell isn’t a death sentence.
“In this tell-all book, Tola lays bare the struggles of sickle cell warriors, the UK medical system, the importance of family and friends and how much is hidden in the details of what is required to recover from a near-death experience” says one of the blurbs.
In a media chat with reporters in Lagos, Tola spoke of the inspiration behind the book and the reason for having the launch in Benin — she was born and bred in the ancient city.
“So, I wrote the book because I wanted to tell my story. I decided to write the book while I was recovering from hospital. So they had discharged me and I thought, you know what?, it’s good to tell my story because it was a life- changing experience for me, and maybe somebody’s going through the same experience. This was in 2022, a few months after I got out of hospital”, the property lawyer said.
