A five-part series creatively explores the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK from the perspective of the past, present and future with UK and international guest speakers
Sickle Cell Unboxed, a five-part podcast series produced and hosted by medical doctor and multimedia producer Dr Yemisi Bokinni debuts. Funded by The Genetics Society UK, the series is a public engagement initiative centred on creatively exploring life sciences themes.
Sickle Cell Anaemia, a hereditary blood disorder, is the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK and is caused when two copies of a gene mutation are inherited, one from either parent. Historically, at-risk populations for Sickle Cell Anaemia are individuals with ancestry from Africa, the Caribbean, India and parts of the Arab world.
The series creatively ‘unboxes’ themes such as the historical origins and early explanations rooted in African folklore, to the more present themes of Sickle Cell and relationships, lived experiences in the UK and Nigeria, in addition to notes on pioneering new treatments and medical advances for future cures.
Guests on the podcast hail from the UK, Nigeria and Ghana, and include senior haematologists, a researcher at the University of Oxford, advocacy practitioners and notedly, insights from individuals living with the condition.
The series is set to conclude with an online event scheduled for Rare Disease Day 2023, February 28th that will provide an opportunity for audiences to engage with the guest speakers. The podcast is widely available across all major podcast hosting platforms.
As reports find that sickle cell patients continue to feel neglected Dr Yemisi Bokinni has launched a new podcast series, which addresses the core themes around the condition, which is currently the fastest growing genetic condition in the UK.
In the early hours of April 23rd 2019 Evans Nathan Smith, a 21-year-old football analyst called the NHS ambulance emergency services from his hospital bed. His request? Oxygen. Evans had been admitted for gallbladder surgery a week prior, and as someone who also suffered from sickle cell, he could feel the onset of a sickle cell crisis emerging but was refused oxygen by the nurses in charge of his care. Evans died two days later, on April 25th. His story sparked a national outcry and triggered a debate among MPs in the houses of parliament but more can be done to raise awareness across wider society and this is something that Dr Yemisi is keen to address through her work and her podcast.
Speaking from London, UK, Dr Yemisi Bokinni said, “I was inspired to create this project after the unfortunate death of Evan Nathan Smith, a twenty-one-year-old who died of Sickle Cell in the UK, in part due to a lack of an understanding of the condition. Considering Sickle Cell is the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK, I believe everyone should know about it. While the motivation for the podcast stemmed from a tragedy, I wanted to centre the essence of hope. The series concludes with the episode titled ‘Unboxing the future’ which bears testament to the beauty of science and research in improving all of our lives.”
Dr Yemisi Bokinni is a medical doctor and graduated from King’s College London with a Medical Degree and a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Genetics. She currently works as a Multimedia Producer and writer at Remedy Studios, a young media production company dedicated to producing bold and compelling life science programming that reaches and reflects diverse audiences.
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