Ogbonna, a gentle, loving, vibrant, intelligent, talented, polymath died on 25.5.2021 aged 36.
 

His death certificate cites 2 causes: renal medullary carcinoma and sickle cell trait.

Our family knew at birth that he had inherited the sickle cell trait from his father together with all considerations and precautions that it entailed.

Ogbonna’s symptoms began in late January early February 2021 when he had a slight, persistent cough - a subsequent COVID 19 test was negative. The cough worsened, he became very tired and began to lose weight rapidly.
 

Due to the pandemic it took until 24th February to be granted a physical examination of his lungs by a GP. This led to an X-ray 2 days later, followed by a CT scan 4 days later and a further abdominal CT scan. On the 11th March Ogbonna was informed that he had lung cancer and was referred to renal oncology. On 16th March we were informed that he was suspected of having a rare form of cancer linked to his sickle cell trait that had spread from his
right kidney. Also, that it was terminal. This was confirmed by a biopsy.

 

It is important to note that Ogbonna had no symptoms of his illness until the cough and appeared physically in good health.

 

Ogbonna’s brother began to research and found that this particular type of cancer was deemed as incurable, especially at the stage it had been identified in Ogbonna. The phrase “As good as a death sentence” is used on several medical websites. Cases like Ogbonna’s, where the cancer had spread from the kidney into other major organs, for example the lungs, as it was with Ogbonna, to date, have had no survivors.

 

With treatment such as chemotherapy, life span after prognosis ranges from 2 months to a year, maximum. There has only been one recorded case of a man in America who has survived Renal Medullary Carcinoma and that is because the cancer was caught in the early stages, in the kidneys and had not spread. With many courses of chemotherapy he survived and lives to tell the tale today.
 

When considering this case and reflecting sadly on Ogbonna’s, we feel it speaks volumes, as to why men under 40 years of age, who have the Sickle Cell Trait need to do their utmost to have their kidneys screened each year.

 

Ogbonna bravely decided not to have chemotherapy as he did not want to be hospitalised or isolated from family and friends preferring to be at home. He died nine weeks later.
 

No one in our circle of family, friends and acquaintances - many of whom
have sickle cell trait - were aware that this cancer existed.