Parents share how their children helped save each other from sickle cell disease
After immigrating to the United States as a teenager, Divine Mabo saw an online photo of a beautiful young woman, Siri, from his home country, Cameroon, and instantly knew he had to meet her. Their romance has since withstood the test of time, enduring even the challenges of a medical diagnosis that threatened their whole family.
The couple, living in Melissa, Texas, was careful to be tested for sickle cell disease before marrying. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder, prevalent in West Africa, where red blood cells become crescent-shaped instead of their normal round shape. This can lead to blockages in blood flow, resulting in severe pain, organ damage, and premature death.
Siri told 11 Alive that they sought testing because, “if two people have the sickle cell trait and they get married, then they have a chance of giving birth to kids with sickle cell.” They had observed in Cameroon how sickle cell diagnoses led to couples breaking up, as it meant any future children would be at risk.
Following tests conducted by medical experts in Cameroon, Siri stated, “We got results that said we both were not carriers of the sickle cell trait.” This result, according to Siri, meant they “were clear to get married without having any fear of having kids with sickle cell.”
Her husband, Divine, however, described the situation that arose later as “really chaotic.”
The couple first had a son, Nathan, who was followed two years later by their fraternal twins, Bryan and Brandon.
Nathan received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder around his third birthday. Later, the twins were diagnosed with sickle cell disease, and painful symptoms of this disease started appearing when the twins were approximately six months old.
“So, literally all three kids have an issue,” Divine recounted.
The couple realized the sickle cell screening tests they had taken in Cameroon, before their marriage in Texas, were inaccurate.
“Contrary to what the results had said before, Divine and I are both carriers of the sickle cell trait, and we passed it on to our kids unknowingly,” Siri stated. “It was a very, very dark time for us.”
“That has got to be the most devastating news I have ever heard,” Divine noted.
Doctors at Dallas Children’s Health suggested chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant with a close match as a possible cure. Divine said he was grateful “to be in a country where we have the resources to manage the condition and eventually cure the condition.”
Nathan, the older brother, was the perfect match, but only for Bryan, the older fraternal twin. Bryan received a successful bone marrow transplant and blood infusion in 2021.
So, for the next three years, Brandon continued to manage his sickle cell symptoms with medication.
The situation changed, however, with the birth of their younger sister, Naimah. She was conceived using in vitro fertilization (IVF), a procedure specifically employed to ensure the resulting embryo would not carry the sickle cell trait.
“By God’s grace and everything being in place, we got our little girl,” Siri recalled. “She was 100 percent sickle cell free. And it just so happened she was a genetic match for Brandon.”
When Naimah was old enough, she became a donor for Brandon’s chemo and infusion treatment, leading to him being declared sickle cell-free in 2024. Because each twin had a matched sibling donor, both are now 100 percent sickle cell free and “live normal lives,” according to Siri.
The children’s parents note that Nathan is now eight, the twins Bryan and Brandon are six, and Naimah is three. They also shared that each twin refers to their sibling donor as their “bestie,” demonstrating an understanding of the precious gift they were given.
Today, Siri’s memoir, “Conceived,” details their story. The Mabo family also founded a foundation to raise awareness about autism and sickle cell disease, aiming to “create resources for families… or to prevent other families from going through what we went through,” according to Siri Mabo.
Divine added, “The goal is really just to try to advocate for folks to make sure they get tested.”
Siri expressed her hope that her family, now happy, healthy, and free from sickle-cell disease, will “grow up strong and healthy to be able to live life to their full potential.”
