What in the World

Homepage Accessibility links Skip to content Accessibility Help BBC Accountrequire(["idcta/statusbar"],function(a){new a.Statusbar({id:"idcta-statusbar",publiclyCacheable:!0})}),document.querySelector(".idcta-wrapper").classList.remove("no-js") Notifications Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Technology Health Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live More menu Search Sounds Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Technology Health Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live Close menu BBC SoundsSounds home pageMenuHomeMusicPodcastsMy SoundsEpisode detailsWorld Service,·14 Jul 2026,·9 mins PlayBookmarkBookmarkSubscribeSubscribeAvailable for over a year Sickle cell is a genetic blood condition that can cause severe pain, extreme tiredness and serious health complications. It mainly affects people of African and Caribbean heritage, and for many, it's something they've had to live with their whole lives. But that could be changing. We meet Daniel Cressy, a young man from Louisiana whose dream is to become a pilot. After years of living with sickle cell, he received a ground-breaking treatment that has effectively cured him. He shares what life was like before and what it's like now to be sickle cell free. We'll also hear from Dr Steven Okoli, who breaks down how these new treatments work and what needs to happen to make them available to more people across the world. Could we be entering a future where sickle cell is no longer a lifelong condition? Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Emma-Louise Amanshia Producers: William Lee Adams and Stefania Okereke Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde