Struggles and triumphs of sickle cell advocate

The Star Kenya

For the longest time, Mitchelle Omullo dreamt of making her mark in the film industry. But just as she began living the dream, her life took an unexpected turn. https://shorturl.at/nBPvv

Transcript

00:00Basically, the challenges I've faced in life is, you know, since I got a mild stroke,

00:08things have not been easy to do because, you know, maybe even the employment sector has not been easy

00:17because people are seeing me as a burden when they employ me.

00:22So they feel like they cannot employ me because of their ignorance.

00:27So my journey with sickle cell, I was diagnosed when I was three years old.

00:32Now I'm 31 years old.

00:34So it has not been easy.

00:36It has not been a walk in the park, but by the grace of God, God has been so kind to me

00:42and we thank God that he has really been through this journey with me.

00:49He's really been with me and he's really walked with me.

00:53So the challenges that I'm facing are really major because we find out that the drugs are not being given for free

01:03or drugs are being given for free and we have to buy them.

01:07I'm missing a job. I'm not employed as we speak right now.

01:12But, you know, it's just God's ways that something small,

01:19these engagements that I usually attend and go for, they give me at least some pocket money.

01:25Now, you know, that's my personal latency.

01:27I go and also buy my medication.

01:32And then I have always wanted to make, to do film, to shoot film,

01:39because I felt like we have been stigmatized a lot.

01:44So I wanted to show our stories through my films now.

01:51So I am basically shooting a feature film called Wipe In Tears

01:58that involves sickle cell and it involves also Ghana, 25 percent, and Kenya, Kisumu, 75 percent.

02:09So that is what I am really, really looking for, funds to shoot it,

02:14because our budget is at 5.3 million to shoot in all countries.

02:24So we are currently kind of challenged because we don't have the funds that we're looking for.

02:32But we have spotted some companies that we are trying to partner with to help us raise the funds.

02:39From Home Rescue Medallia has been quite a rollercoaster.

02:45I can say that because my friends never accepted me for who I am.

02:51They gang up against you.

03:00And they are like, they don't want to play with you.

03:03They don't want to, you know, associate with you because you are a sickle cell warrior,

03:08you have sickle cell, maybe you will kill them, you know.

03:12But sickle cell, particularly through playing and stuff, it's a genetic blood disorder.

03:19So I really had a very challenging time growing up.

03:24Even to discover that I was a sickle cell warrior, I discovered it all on my own.

03:29Because I was like, what is happening to me?

03:36I always hear my mom talk about sickle cell.

03:39Oh, you have sickle cell, you have sickle cell.

03:41And I'm like, eh, sickle cell.

03:43So I came to realize and get this on my own that I was a sickle cell warrior.

03:49And I really needed to manage my health and all that.

03:53I really needed to drink a lot of water, you know.

03:56But growing up has been challenging.

03:59I've faced bullying.

04:01I've faced stigmatization when growing up.

04:05You know, they stigmatize you because even in schools the teachers were like,

04:10when I was in school, my mom was a teacher.

04:12So my mom was trained in the school I had schooled in.

04:15So it was a bit easy for me because she was telling the teachers and also every today that comes my way

04:23or into contact with me, she was telling them that I'm a sickle cell warrior.

04:29So I have sickle cell disease.

04:31But in high school, I really had a very big challenge because my deputy never understood me.

04:39My condition.

04:41And whenever I used to go and ask my teacher, she'd be like,

04:45you're faking the sickness.

04:50I'm like, eh.

04:52I'm faking a crisis that is looming.

04:55And you can't even tell when a crisis is coming.

05:02So I used to study at Zerberia, but when I reached Form 4, I realized my Form 2, actually.

05:14I told my mom, I don't have to go to that school anymore because of how the deputy treats me.

05:21So she said, OK, let me change for your school because when you're not at peace

05:30at the school you're going to, it will be a crisis.

05:36So let me just make you comfortable and look for a school for you.

05:40So fortunately enough, she looked for me for a school.

05:45That was called Bishop Abiero Secondary School.

05:51And I had to repeat my Form 2.

05:55And I also had to repeat my Class 8.

05:57So I never had...

05:59I was too down.

06:01I didn't have hopes, like, I can be somebody in this life.

06:07But the more...

06:10When I reached my Form 4, the more...

06:14I wanted to be a secretary, actually.

06:17Working from 9 to maybe 9 or 8 to 5 jobs.

06:23So that's what I wanted to do, to keep a low profile.

06:28But...

06:30Who am I to him?

06:33So when I was in Form 4, early first term, I kept on getting ideas in my mind.

06:39I'm like, eh, these movies, the scripting, what will I be doing with them?

06:44When will I even get the money to shoot it?

06:47You know, to shoot them, those films.

06:51So I was like, ah, no.

06:54The more I just refused the...

06:57I refused those ideas.

06:59The more they came.

07:02So I was like, ah, let me start writing just a script.

07:05Let me start slowly.

07:07And you know, when I was writing, my mum was like, wow.

07:11You're like a pro.

07:13Are you sure you didn't go to school for this?

07:15I'm like, no, I didn't go to school for any of these.

07:18So whenever she had her friends come over, she used to tell them,

07:22eh, you know, my daughter is a straight fighter.

07:26So that is how it started.

07:30I stayed at home for 4 years before going to college.

07:35So I was in 2017, January, and I said, no.

07:40I was in college and I told my mum, I need to go too.

07:44I really need to go.

07:46So she was like, eh.

07:48Look, my mum, she's listening to you, but she can't hear you.

07:52Because the college was in Nairobi.

07:56So one day I just started packing my clothes in my bag.

08:01Clothes are a few days too.

08:04I wanted to go to Nairobi.

08:06I get to Nairobi.

08:08I go to the school.

08:09I get the course.

08:11I enroll for the course.

08:14I check what the school fees was.

08:18And when she realized that I had made up my mind,

08:26she took out the money.

08:29But she didn't want to go to Nairobi for me

08:32because I'll be all alone.

08:37As much as I have relatives there, but I'll be all alone.

08:41And if I have a crisis, what next?

08:46So we prayed about it.

08:48We prayed about it.

08:49And luckily enough, when I was in college, I didn't have any crisis.

08:54So I'm thanking God that this far he's brought me in

08:57with the challenges I have faced.

09:01He's made me a winner.

09:04That is what I can say.

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