Universal Magazine November 2018 Universal Magazine November 2018 | Page 12

12
Health
Not today, death!
to live with it because I felt
there was nothing I could
do about it. When I found
out that my older brother
had also died from sickle
cell, I lost the will to live. I
was assured that I wouldn’t
live beyond 21, so what was
the point in trying?
Just because an illness is passed down by DNA it doesn’t
necessarily mean you will die from it. Sickle cell disease is an
inherited lifelong condition that produces unusually shaped
red blood cells. They don’t live as long as healthy blood cells
and can get stuck in blood vessels, which causes illnesses that
could shorten your lifespan. But this didn’t stop Ronke from
escaping death.
‘A
t the age of 7, I was diagnosed
with sickle cell, passed down
from my mother who had
it’s traits. This meant that there was
a problem with my haemoglobin – the
substance in the red blood cells that is
supposed to carry oxygen around my
body. This caused me constant pain,
restricted me from taking part in physical
activities and to make matters worse I
was told I wouldn’t live beyond the age
of 21. The first time I heard this I felt like
there was no point in living; at the same
time it frightened me to know that I had
a death sentence constantly hanging over
my head. With time, however, I learned
That was when one of
my friends invited me to
the Universal Church.
There I heard real life
stories of people who,
through faith, were able
to overcome serious
problems in their lives and
that brought me hope. I
then learnt the concept
of the ‘Challenge of Faith’
and I put all my strength
into it because I wanted to
see the same change those
people had seen.
Taking part in the
Challenge of Faith wasn’t
easy as I was still in and
out of hospital, but I did
my best. I didn’t give up.
My faith was awakened
through this challenge.
I continued following the
medical advice as usual
but I chose to believe that I
could get better. I became
more positive, holding
on to the vision of myself
overcoming this difficulty.
Normally whenever I
would go for a check-up
the haemoglobin in my
blood would be 50% – the
highest it would ever get
was 70% – which meant I
wasn’t receiving sufficient
oxygen. I began to notice
a big difference, however.
My haemoglobin was
hitting 90%! The nurse
was astonished because
this had never happened
before. I was so happy and
for a year now I haven’t
felt so good. I can do
everything and anything
I put my mind to. Today I
am 26 years old and truly
happy as I don’t have to live
in fear of dying.’
Ronke Dosumu
When all hope seems lost
There are good reasons to renew your hope and be confident that better days are coming. Here are four
of them.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO,
EVERYTHING PASSES
WHAT DOES NOT
IT’LL NEVER BE
NOT ON WHAT YOU CANNOT
KILL
YOU
MAKES
MORE
THAN
YOU
Life goes on. If there is one
thing in life that is certain,
So much energy is wasted when you
YOU STRONGER
CAN BEAR
1
2
it is that everything is
guaranteed to change.
You can find strength by
reminding yourself that the
difficult situation you are
facing will not last forever.
Nothing stays the same.
3
Every time you go
through
a
difficult
situation, you come out
the other side stronger.
Good lessons often come
disguised as problems.
4
Maybe you feel that
you can’t overcome an
obstacle in your life, but
the truth is, you can. Your
problems will never be too
big for you to deal with.
worry about things you cannot do or
change. Do what you can instead of
worrying about what you cannot! Instead
of being anxious, channel your energy
into doing something that is possible.
Then lay your head on your pillow and
leave the rest — the impossible — to God.
Do you need more motivation? Then read these four points again, but this time read them aloud. Don’t ask
why, but it works.
*The UCKG HelpCentre’s spiritual advice is to be seen as a complement to the scientifically-proven treatment you may be receiving. The UCKG HelpCentre does not claim to heal people but believes that God can
through the power of faith. Always follow your doctor’s instructions.