Scholarship winners 2008 Transformation through education

To reward the academic achievement of individuals with sickle cell disease and to promote their pursuit of educational goals, the Sickle Cell Society has awarded scholarships to inspirational young adults through an unrestricted educational grant from Novartis Oncology. The achievements of these individuals highlight how with the right support and care, young people with sickle cell can achieve their potential. The implementation of the adult standards will ensure that all service users are provided with the necessary care to manage their disease which will in turn, improve lives and help them secure their goals.

Samuel Sanderson, 23, is studying for a medical degree at the University of Southampton. Samuel is thrilled to have won a Sickle Cell Society Scholarship. It will enable him to devote more time to his studies, and reduce the hours he spends working part-time as a care worker to support his medical degree.

“I am very, very happy to have won the Scholarship,” Samuel says, “I didn’t expect to win and I’m over the moon!” For Samuel, education is extremely important, and in his opinion does change people’s lives. “Becoming a doctor is what I have wanted to do from the age of 12, and having the opportunity to study medicine is fantastic, and has made me so determined to fulfil my goal of becoming a doctor.”
Raising awareness of sickle cell is hugely important to Samuel; his mother and brother also have the disease. “If I say that I have sickle cell disease to someone, the vast majority do not understand and I have to explain it,” he says. Samuel also believes that more needs to be done to increase knowledge of the disease within the medical profession. This is something that Samuel himself will be helping with by achieving his dream of becoming a doctor.

His message to others with sickle cell disease is: “Having the disease can be difficult and obviously has limitations, but it shouldn’t stop you from trying to be the best that you can be.” When asked if his disease has affected his plans for the future, Samuel’s response is simple: “absolutely not.”

Nancy Segilola Scott, 22, is studying for a Masters degree in cinema studies at the University of Bristol. Nancy read out the Prime Minister’s statement at the recent Parliamentary launch.

“It was a huge privilege,” she says. “I was literally taking Gordon’s place! It was an honour to know the Prime Minister supported the standards and an amazing opportunity to read out his speech.”

Aspiring actress Nancy was awarded the scholarship to help pursue her Masters degree in cinema studies, for which she is currently completing a dissertation on representations of love in romantic comedy. “I was working as an assistant producer and the director was constantly talking about how you needed to stand out to get ahead in the media – so I thought I’d get that extra something by doing a Masters,” she explains. Nancy is passionate about the role of education in transforming lives, believing it is the “key to success which opens doors and commands respect” and is thankful to the Society for supporting the continuation of her studies. She hopes the launch of the standards will mean it is much more straightforward process to access the treatment she needs in a crisis, be it from her local hospital or GP surgery. “It will also help educate nurses and doctors that the pain is really excruciating, and to use the right painkillers,” she adds. To others with sickle cell her message is simple. “Don’t give up, stay positive!”