At 90, Asiata Onikoyi-Laguda is believed to be the
oldest person with sickle cell disease in the
world.
She was born in November 1925, the same year
as Margaret Thatcher, first female British prime
minister and Malcolm X, the African-American
civil rights activist. At that time, the average life
expectancy of children born with sickle cell
disorder was just five years, but she has defied
the odds to live up to 90.
Due to the high level of illiteracy at the time of her
birth, she was never diagnosed with sickle cell.
She endured years of pain, which kept her away
from school till she was 12 years old. Her pain
was so severe and frequent that she would beg
God to let her die.
After primary school, she enrolled at Queens
College Lagos, where she met her husband Bolaji
Alakija, who later became a doctor. She did not
know she had the sickle cell disease until after
she had given birth to five of her six children. Her
husband, Dr Alakija, gave her pills including folic
acid to take every day, but kept the nature of her
illness away from her for a long time.
Dr Alakija had 10 wives and 27 children, when he
died, she married Alhaji Laguda, but she never
had a child with her second husband.
She is the second of four children born from
AbdulYekeen Ishola Onikoyi, a prince of the
Onikoyi ruling house, and Aishat Alake Onikoyi
from Kudeti, Ibadan.
In spite of her illness, she has outlived her
parents, husbands and siblings except one.
Here are some interesting facts about her :
– She is under no dietary restrictions whatsoever:
eats salt, eggs, meat, sugar, fried food, etc as
she likes
– Her blood pressure hovering around 160/90
– She has performed the holy pilgrimage to
Mecca 13 times and Umrah half a dozen times
– She observed the annual 30-day Ramadhan
fast until she was over 88 and pressured to
discontinue by her children
– She reads Bible, Quran everyday with glasses
but moves around without glasses
– She takes public transport in super-chaotic
Lagos
– She gave birth to six children, all by normal
delivery. When her only son passed away in
August 2014 aged 59, she accepted the will of
Allah but prayed, “Please let the rest of the
children you gave me outlive me.”
Her survival to grand old age is an achievement
and inspiration for Women in Africa, especially
those living with Sickle Cell.
We celebrate her!!!

womenofrubies.com/2015/12/24/profiles-meet-asiata-onikoyi-laguda-the-oldest-person-with-sickle-cell-disease-in-the-world/

lalasticlala

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hmmmm interesting