John was born in Nigeria but has called Oxford home for more than a decade. He has learned to transform the lifelong pain of living with Sickle Cell Disorder into creative power.
He says: “What began as a therapeutic escape into poetry and spoken word has grown into a calling – a way to let my scars sing the song of strength.
My connection with CAN began a few years after arriving in Oxford when my Sickle Cell Specialist Nurse introduced me to the charity. Although my health limits my active involvement, the support and inspiration from CAN have been a constant source of encouragement.
My words strive to capture the hidden layers of trauma, mental stress, and the delicate balance between pain and hope. I write about life’s raw emotions while celebrating love, nature, and resilience. As I like to say, “let our scars be the brushstrokes that paint our courage.”
So far, I’ve published three books— “A Walk With Your Soul” and “Impossible Is a Lie”, and my latest poetry collection “Transcend” (on the right is one of my poems). With another poetry book on the horizon, I’m excited to keep turning pain into power and I hope to inspire others to find beauty and strength amid life’s most challenging moments.
You can find ‘Transcend’ and John’s other work on Amazon or here.
A poem written by John – Sickle Together
I would hold your hand in the rain
We would jump and splash water all over
And we can defy our crisis
So long as we sickle together
I would hold your hand in the sun
We would run and throw paper planes all over
And we can taunt our crisis
So long as we sickle together
I would hold your face in my hands
We would stop and gaze hard
into each other’s soul
And we can stay on top of our crisis
So long as we sickle together
Our crisis one
Our pains one
Our cries one
Our cause one
I love you
And as I write
I laugh to cry
And cry to laugh
Knowing we are
Bloodily bonded
Lovingly loved
Worthy Warriors