When Adejoke Ejiofor and her husband learned their firstborn child had sickle cell anemia, they thought there must be a mistake. Only one of them had ever tested positive for the sickle cell trait—or so they thought. Thus began their family's years long journey on the road to their son's better health.
In searing and heartfelt detail, Ejiofor's memoir Travel Bravely traverses all the bad-tasting medications, painful treatments, and agonizing symptoms of sickle cell disease that made her son a true sickle cell warrior. Despite this test of faith, Ejiofor remained endlessly optimistic, trusting God for a breakthrough. Determined to find a cure for her son, she pursued multiple bone marrow transplants and even sought out in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and preimplantation genetic testing to increase their chances of success.
Travel Bravely is the story of how one family searched to the ends of the earth to reach their victory. No matter what path you're on or what cure you're racing toward, Ejiofor's encouraging words will arm you with the bravery you need to face your journey with the strength of a warrior.
ADEJOKE LOLADE EJIOFOR is based in Minnesota. Being a mother to a child who spent years battling sickle cell disease, the desire and determination to create awareness strengthened her writing prowess to reach the world with messages of hope. Her first book, Travel Bravely (2021), is a memoir describing pain, hope, and desire, as well as the possibilities of overcoming life's struggles.
In 2018, Adejoke and her family were presented with a Champion Award by the Sickle Cell Foundation of Minnesota for their outstanding passion and dedication to community engagement. Since December 2020, Adejoke has been a member of the Community Advisory Board of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Minnesota. She has a master's degree in business administration with a specialty in project management and a bachelor's degree in mass communication.