The Early Life of Jeomie East
Struggling with Sickle Cell Anemia
by
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The introduction of Jeomie East into the world began with her birth on March 23, 1966 in Bellevue Hospital in New York. Her parents, Phyllis East and Robert East Jr. lived in a high rise apartment on 34th Street in Manhattan, New York. Jeomie was the first born of four children, with two other sisters named Weomie and Neomie, and a brother Robert East III. Jeomie's mother had no complications during her pregnancy nor any at the time of the delivery of Jeomie. A healthy 6 pounds 8 ounce baby girl, she brought much joy to her parents. Nearly every mother catalogs the ages of growth and development of their child. Experiencing the normal activities associated with childhood, Jeomie began crawling at the age of 6 months. By 10 months, she pulled herself up to a table to walk around it. No complications nor signs of the disease were discovered until her visit with the doctor for her immunization shots. The lab testing accidently discovered traces of sickle cell in Jeomie's blood. The family doctor explained the disease to Jeomie's parents, Phyllis and Robert. They were unaware that they were carriers of the trait which caused the disease in Jeomie. Their sorrow was intensified as they learned from the doctor the complications which Jeomie would experience. Early death stole the life of many African American children. Phyllis and Robert would now be alerted to watch for behaviorial changes in Jeomie. Constant surveillance of Jeomie would occupy the thoughts of her parents. Jeomie continued to engage in normal activity in her preschool years, showing signs of perception and awareness of the world around her. In elementary school, Jeomie's parents learned that she was a very gifted child. Placed in the Intelligent Gifted Children (IGC) classes, she loved learning and earned the distinction of being listed on the school honor roll. Her second born sister Weomie, who also had the sickle cell anemia trait, attended the IGC classes too. Jeomie refused to have it revealed that she had the disease sickle cell anemia. Wishing to be normal, Jeomie wanted no one to pity her. Possessing a beautiful poetic mind, she spent countless hours writing memorable lines of verse. Being kind and considerate besides intelligent, Jeomie had many friends who shared her love of learning. As Jeomie grew older, she became more independent. Her mother Phyllis had often dressed Weomie and Jeomie alike. Some people even thought they were twins. Although she still loved her sister, dressing like Weomie did not interest her anymore. Eventually, Jeomie began experiencing the sickle cell crisis. They became more frequent when she was older Jeomie's mother would leave her work to stay with Jeomie in the hospital. Jeomie did not feel like herself during the sickle cell crisis.
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Struggling with Sickle Cell Anemia
About the Author
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Phyllis East. I am a widow and have been for the past fifteen years. I am also a Christian. I work hard in the church faithfully. I am in the choir and in the missionary circle. One of the things that I admire about myself is that I am a people person. I am a Nursing Assistant full-time. I went to college to become a licensed manager cosmetologist. Bowling and fishing are my favorite hobbies. I am a down-to-earth person.