Baltimore, MD — Nasir Stiggs, a 7-year old African American boy from Baltimore who has sickle cell disease, was able to survive coronavirus despite him being at a higher risk. After testing positive for the virus, the situation became even more complicated when he developed pneumonia in both of his lungs.
As a sickle cell disease patient, which affects red blood cells and interferes with the delivery of oxygen to the tissues, the virus put him at a higher risk of death.
“He had to keep getting stuck by the needle because the needle kept coming out,” his mother, Deshannon Striggs, told WAFB. “To watch him go through that, it was really scary.”
After days of treatment and prayers, Nasir is home now on his way to his full recovery. Doctors are still monitoring his condition through online visits.
His mother is very thankful for all the support they received. “Just keep the faith. That’s the message: keep the faith,” she said.