September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a time to honor the strength and resilience of those living with sickle cell disease and to celebrate the communities who stand beside them. For 13-year-old Essince, who has been matched with the Trinity College women’s basketball team since December 2024, her journey with sickle cell has been made brighter through the bonds she’s built with her teammates.
Living with sickle cell disease has not always been easy for Essince. She has faced questions from peers and moments of wondering, “Why was I born this way?” But with the Trinity Bantams by her side, she has found not only support but also joy, laughter, and confidence.
Essince jumped right into the season, attending games, practices, and spending as much time with the team as possible. Just a few months later, her Signing Day was a celebration to remember, complete with a Q&A, karaoke, pizza, desserts, and plenty of team cheers led by Essince herself. Since then, even in the off-season, she and her teammates stay connected through FaceTimes and Zooms, proving that their bond extends far beyond the basketball court.
For Essince, being part of the team has been transformative. “They make me feel happy because I get to have a lot of friends and I get to hang out with them,” she said. “I have fun with them because they’re funny and they’re confident about themselves.”
That confidence that Essince sees in her teammates has found its way into her life as well. When she needs strength or self-assurance, she channels what she’s learned from her Bantams. “To be more confident about yourself and to be more happy…that’s what I like about the women’s basketball team,” Essince said.
Her teammates, too, feel the joy of her presence every day. Hannah Boone, a Trinity women’s basketball player and Team IMPACT Fellow, immediately bonded with Essince and has enjoyed every second of their time together. With Essince on their team, the Trinity women’s basketball program became a little bit brighter. “In the best way possible, she is literally the sun,” Hannah said. “She comes into practice every day, and the energy just shifts. It’s like the clouds parted and she walked in.”
Many student-athletes like Hannah may never see firsthand the way living with a condition like sickle cell disease can impact a child and their family. For as much as Essince says she’s learned from the team, Hannah and her teammates have learned just as much. “Dealing with sickle cell is not the easiest thing, but Essince has really grown in how she presents herself,” Hannah said.
Sickle cell disease is often described as an “invisible illness,” meaning you cannot often tell what a child with sickle cell disease is going through by simply looking at them. As Hannah and her teammates learned more about Essince, they learned the best ways to make their environment most comfortable for her. Whether its controlling the temperature of the gym or being flexible with plans when Essince isn’t feeling her best, the Bantams make sure she always feels as welcome, comfortable, and accepted as any other member of the team, hoping to help her accept her diagnosis rather than question it. “Being with us and hanging out with us she’s realized it’s just a part of who she is, and she carries a lot of pride with it now,” Hannah said. “I think what I hope that Essince has learned from us is it’s okay to be who you are, unapologetically.”
Essince’s story is a reminder that sickle cell does not define her—it’s simply a part of who she is. Surrounded by a team that uplifts and celebrates her, Essince is learning to embrace her strength, her confidence, and her joy.
This Sickle Cell Awareness Month, we honor Essince and all those living with sickle cell disease. We celebrate their courage, their resilience, and the communities who remind them to be who they are, unapologetically.
