September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month and I wanted to share some of my story and life with you all. I wrote a book in 2020 about sickle cell, graduating from UCF, why and how I moved to Atlanta, starting this website, being on TV and motivating people. A lot has changed in the six years since I wrote, Through It All: Sanford Raised Me & ATL Saved Me. As far as my platform and being a celebrity photographer, right now that’s the best part of my life. I won three awards the last three years pertaining to media and social media.

My mom always told me I was special when she decided to have me and her not knowing I would be born with Sickle Cell Anemia. I’m assuming my purpose on Earth is doing what I do and promoting positives images and videos on my social media platforms. I became somebody and one of the best in the city of Atlanta with what I do. Unfortunately, life doesn’t end there. I had left hip replacement on 12/20/23 and I still need my right hip replaced.

I’m always in pain, I stay popping legal pills at least 4-5 times a week. A lot of days I hate I was born and I wish my parents could have had another child besides me. Even though I’m very successful I feel like I’m wasting space by not repopulating the Earth. I’m not going to even comment on work and what I gave up to be there. The older I get, I get tired of dealing with the ER and hospital.

My life isn’t easy by far and I have a lot of expectations placed on me. I do my best with my friends and family support. I’m here and I can’t change that. 2023 was a tough year for me and the devil put suicide thoughts in my head quite often. I would never harm myself or do anything like that, besides it would probably backfire on me. I never want a tube going down my mouth and that would give him victory.

This is not a cry for a help or anything, just me being honest and transparent of what I deal with often. I do the best with the cards I was dealt with. Moving to the Atlanta was the best thing I ever could have done. After graduating from UCF this is the second biggest accomplishment in my life. I might go to the ER 3-5 times a year compared to 3-5 times a year being admitted back home in Florida.

I hated living home, always felt different, like I didn’t belong there and mostly stayed sick there. Being in a new environment changed my life and my last 11 years back home was pure hell on Earth for me. I just wished I could have came here sooner and maybe some of those hospitals visits could have prevented. Maybe if I was healthier those last 11 years, I wouldn’t dislike it that much but I had to get away to stay alive. Florida Hospital did what they could but I couldn’t take it anymore.

The Bible promises us 3 scores plus 10 which is 70 years and I hope to live that long. If I die early, I don’t care as long as I get to Heaven and see those pearly gates. Being here is nothing spectacular for me and the world is mostly evil. Whatever is inside of me the devil doesn’t want it to come out, I’m in my prime and not sure how much more successful I can become. Just appreciate me while I’m here and never forgot about me once I’m gone. Support National Sickle Cell Awareness Month in any way you can if you have the funds or share a post online about it. Check on anyone you know that deals with sickle cell, we don’t complain we just used to it. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and supporting me.

The One and Only AJ3Report aka Abner Jackson III