Living with sickle cell anemia, each day feels like a silent battle against my body’s limitations. Diagnosed with the heritable blood disorder in the womb before I was born, I’ve never known a life without persistent fatigue, unrelenting body aches and ruthless, sudden bouts of pain. The first time that pain put me in the hospital I was 2 years old. It struck in the middle of the night, jolting me awake.