Janet

Janet

Meet Janet, a creative and resilient young woman hailing from Dublin. Janet is an aspiring writer with a love for fiction and fantasy, who enjoys music and has a dream to pursue creative writing in college. Janet lives with sickle cell, a rare disease that she was diagnosed with as a baby.

Sickle cell is a condition that causes chronic fatigue and pain, even after moderate activity. Despite the physical and emotional burdens of the condition, Janet remains determined and hopeful. She manages her condition with various treatments and regular transfusions, always mindful of the need to avoid strenuous activities that could trigger a flare-up or ‘crisis’ pain, as it is called.

Janet's involvement in the campaign aims to raise awareness about sickle cell and other rare diseases. She wishes for her story to educate people and for those living with similar conditions to feel seen and heard. Janet also hopes that her participation in the campaign will encourage healthcare professionals to learn more about sickle cell and similar conditions.

In Janet's own words, her experience with living with a rare disease can be described as "Exhausted", "Creative", "Experienced", and "Unseen."

Photography by Julien Behal

Janet
C-ANPROM/IE/RDG/0018

This is a non-promotional campaign to raise awareness of rare diseases in Ireland. This campaign is initiated and funded by Takeda