Welcome! Let me introduce myself. I’m Teanika Hoffman! A 34-year-old Daughter, Sister, Advocate, Blogger, Entrepreneur, and Sickle Cell Warrior. I live in the suburbs of Washington DC. I am the founder of Chronic•ly Sickle, highly introverted, and speak Thai, with a working knowledge of Japanese. My Master’s Degree in International Development has helped me become an avid traveler and a humanitarian who loves all kinds of cuisine. I enjoy learning about different cultures, languages, and religions. I enjoy reading, spinning, traveling, and walking my 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, Rogue.

I am the owner of a coffee shop in Thailand called Xero Coffee Club. My coffee shop is in the province of Ubon Ratchathani. Xero Coffee functions as a socially conscious business. I am a person of faith, a humanitarian, and a social justice warrior. The ‘J’ in my INTJ is strong. In my spare time, I love playing with my two rambunctious nephews.

I started Chronic•ly Sickle because I noticed there were no blogs dedicated to Sickle Cell Disease from the patient’s perspective. When talking to people throughout the years, I have realized that far too many of them have little to no idea ‘What Sickle Cell Disease is?’ or ‘How SCD is Contracted?, or ‘What are the Symptoms?’. There are many misconceptions about SCD that need dispelling globally.

The stigmatization people like myself face is rampant and often to the detriment of our health. Whenever we interface with the medical community, we are met with doubt & disbelief. SCD warriors are exposed to negligence & abusive behaviors more times than not. As a result, we are provided with substandard and inadequate care. Sickle Cell Disease is one of the least funded & researched diseases in the West. It is not a topic of interest for the majority of new medical students and existing medical staff. My desire for this blog is for it to serve as a tool to educate, encourage and build relationships with those within the SCD community and abroad.

The goal of Chronic•ly Sickle is to offer a safe space to learn about SCD. I will share with you my experiences, the good, and the not-so-good. When you step away from engaging with Chronic•ly Sickle, it is my wish that you would have learned about what it’s like living with SCD. I desire that you would feel equipped to raise awareness in your local community.

I have always been an introvert. Therefore, starting a blog has been a great leap of faith for me. This blog is pulling me out of my comfort zone, to be vulnerable with strangers about my shortcomings and disability. The process of blogging is helping me to learn more about myself and my disease.

Chronic•ly Sickle exists to put a forgotten disease like sickle cell into the spotlight. SCD is already stigmatized and never talked about. Let’s change this!

Finally, I hope to encourage anyone reading this blog to be strong, but especially the younger SCD Warriors, who might feel like their future or situation is bleak.

Please know that you can achieve any goal you set your mind to, even while living with a chronic illness.