Afrobeats star Adekunle Gold has opened up about a frightening sickle cell crisis he experienced while travelling to Tanzania, revealing that the episode became so severe that he could no longer walk after the plane landed in Ethiopia.
The singer, whose real name is Adekunle Kosoko, shared the experience while speaking about his life with sickle cell disorder during an interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra.
According to Adekunle Gold, the incident was his most recent major crisis and happened while he was on a flight to Tanzania, with a planned stopover in Ethiopia.
He said the problem initially started with severe stomach pain and cramping, which he believed might have been caused by something he ate at the airport.
“I just noticed that I started feeling pain in my stomach. I was cramping. I thought it was maybe some meal that I had at the airport,” the singer recalled.
He said he initially blamed himself for eating the suspected meal, but the pain continued to worsen.
Adekunle Gold explained that he went to the toilet but nothing happened, while the severity of the pain became so concerning that the aircraft almost had to make an emergency landing.
“They almost landed the plane because of me, because it was really bad,” he said.
Fortunately, the aircraft was already close to Ethiopia, where it eventually landed.
The singer said that by the time he arrived, his condition had deteriorated to the point where he could not walk on his own.
“I could not even walk. For the first time in my life, they had to put me in a wheelchair, and they took me to the hospital,” he said.
After being examined at the hospital, a doctor informed him that he was experiencing a sickle cell crisis.
Adekunle Gold said the episode also exposed him to a different form of sickle cell crisis from what he had previously experienced.
“The only crisis I have known in my life is in my stomach. That was the first time I ever heard about that,” he explained.
Doctor’s advice after the crisis
The singer said the doctor subsequently advised him to pay particular attention to his water intake whenever he travels by air.
According to Adekunle Gold, medical checks showed that his oxygen level was low, which the doctor linked to the fact that he had not consumed enough water that day.
“The doctor now told me that when I am on the plane, I should make sure I drink a lot of water. And that my oxygen level was low because I did not drink a lot of water that day,” he said.
The experience left him shocked, especially because of how serious the situation became during the flight.
“I said, ‘Wow!’ They almost landed the plane because of me because it was really bad,” he recalled.
Adekunle Gold also spoke about the difficulty of managing sickle cell while maintaining a career that requires frequent international travel.
“I feel like I live on the plane, I’m on the plane 24/7 and if you know anyone living with sickle cell, you will know it is about oxygen, oxygen level and when you are up there, it is crazy,” he said.
The singer has previously spoken publicly about living with sickle cell and the challenges associated with managing the condition while maintaining his demanding music career.
Source: BBC Radio 1Xtra.
