The story of Cortney
My name is Cortney and I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease when I was six months old. I was very sick as a child and in and out of the hospital frequently. During my hospital stays, the nurses would try and cheer me up and make it more fun for me, which is how I fell in love with nursing. I’m currently in nursing school and I won a scholarship with the Black Nurses Association.
Sickle cell impacts all aspects of my daily life. I have 12-hour clinicals, and it’s hard on my hips to stand up the whole time. I feel drained throughout the day. Beyond the physical, sickle cell also weighs on me mentally. I have to think about what I eat and make sure I’m not exercising too much so I don’t hurt myself.
My brother also lives with sickle cell disease, and it was comforting growing up with a sibling who was able to understand what I was going through. It was also hard because there were some days when I wanted to be there for him, but I couldn’t because I was sick myself. A lot of times we found ourselves in the hospital together.
During the time when I was six to eight years old, I had acute chest syndrome, which is one of the leading causes of death with sickle cell disease. My doctor put me on a ventilator, and they told my parents that they didn’t think that I would make it. Over the years, I’ve also had my gallbladder removed, pneumonia and many blood transfusions due to the disease.
As a healthcare professional, I bring a unique perspective to my interactions with patients. I know firsthand how it feels to be on the other side of things and to feel misunderstood by the care team. I’ve experienced being stigmatized by certain doctors and nurses. For many patients, that discourages them from speaking up about their pain levels or how they’re feeling. I would tell people that if you know something isn’t right with your body, to keep being proactive and keep seeking help.
I’m most proud of myself for not giving up because sometimes when people are telling you that you can’t do something for so long, even if you’re driven and you’re stubborn like I am, the doubt can creep in, and it’ll make you think that you can’t.