When Patricia McGill was 13 and learning that she had inherited sickle cell disease, she did not think she would reach 30. But now she and her family are celebrating McGill’s 80th year. McGill is one of the nation’s oldest people with sickle cell disease, living decades past age 52, the life expectancy of someone with the disease, which has a disproportionate effect on Black people. Born and raised in Houston, McGill was diagnosed with sickle cell disease after years of mysterious illnesses.
In regions where the tsetse fly carried a deadly parasite, the sickle cell trait evolved as a protective mechanism. The sickle-shaped red blood cells were less capable of transporting the parasite, thereby increasing the survival rate of individuals with this trait. McGill has had to balance a number of treatments over the years to deal with her illness, including fluid management, pain management and, when needed, blood transfusions.