Afrobeats singer Adekunle Gold has recounted a severe sickle cell crisis that struck while he was travelling by air to Tanzania, leaving him unable to walk and prompting concerns that the flight might have to make an emergency landing.
The singer, who lives with sickle cell disease, shared the experience during an interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra.
Adekunle Gold said the episode occurred during a trip to Tanzania, with Ethiopia as his scheduled stopover.
He initially attributed the discomfort to something he had eaten at the airport after developing stomach pain and cramps during the flight.
He said the pain continued to worsen despite attempts to use the aircraft’s restroom.
“I went to the toilet, nothing came out. They almost landed the plane because of me, because it was really bad,” he recalled.
By the time the aircraft landed in Ethiopia, the singer said he could no longer walk.
He was placed in a wheelchair and taken to a hospital, where a doctor told him he was experiencing a sickle cell crisis.
Adekunle Gold said the episode stood out because it was different from the crises he had experienced previously.
According to the singer, the doctor linked the episode to dehydration and low oxygen levels during the flight and advised him to drink plenty of water while travelling by air.
“The doctor now told me that when I am on the plane, I should make sure I drink a lot of water,” he said.
The singer also spoke about the challenge of frequent air travel while living with sickle cell disease, noting that flying is a significant part of his work.
“I feel like I live on the plane, I’m on the plane 24/7,” he said, adding that oxygen levels are an important consideration for people living with sickle cell disease.
Adekunle Gold has previously spoken publicly about living with sickle cell disease and the effect of the condition on his life and career.
