Veteran Nollywood actress, Eucharia Anunobi, has emotionally opened up about the heartbreaking journey of raising, and eventually losing her son to Sickle Cell Disease, describing it as the greatest battle of her life.
Speaking about the painful experience, the actress revealed that the struggle began when her son was still an infant.
“Just before my son turned one, he fell seriously ill and I rushed him to the hospital,” she recalled. “After running tests, the doctors told me his genotype was SS. From that moment, the battle of my life began.”
Determined to keep her son alive and healthy, Anunobi said she devoted her life to understanding the condition. She searched relentlessly for treatments, researched herbs, and studied everything she could about caring for a child living with sickle cell.
“I started going everywhere looking for medication,” she said. “I read books, studied herbs and tried to understand what it truly means to raise an SS child.”
According to her, caring for her son required strict lifestyle adjustments. She became extremely cautious about his environment, ensuring he avoided conditions that could trigger a crisis.
“I learnt they cannot stay in dusty places or under intense heat,” she explained. “My son never even drank pure water.”
Despite the pain and constant worry, the actress said motherhood brought her immense joy and purpose. Reflecting on the years she spent raising him, she described them as some of the most beautiful moments of her life.
“I’m grateful that God gave me the opportunity to be a mother,” she said. “The joy of nurturing a child for 16 years, six months and 22 days—those were some of the most glorious years of my life.”
Though the loss remains deeply painful, Anunobi said the experience strengthened her faith and transformed her relationship with God.
“I’m thankful to God for making me a mother,” she added. “Taking care of my son taught me so much and it deepened my relationship with God.”
