Black Author Tells Story of Living With Sickle Cell Disease in New Book

 

Bookcover Nationwide (May 7, 2012) — The pain struck when Judy was only four. Later, Judy noticed she was tired a lot – so tired that on some mornings she could not get up to go to school. However, Judy’s mother Janie was unsympathetic. In Janie’s eyes, Judy had to be punished for skipping school. Later, some folk in the small black community began whispering about that “strange illness of little Judy Gray.” In Living With Sickle Cell Disease: The Struggle to Survive, Judy Gray Johnson describes how she attended college, taught elementary school, endured a troubled marriage, raised a daughter alone, and even presided over a major teachers’ union while enduring severe periods of pain that usually required emergency room visits, blood transfusions, and copious dosages of painkillers such as morphine. All the while, exhaustion was her constant companion.The mysterious disorder remained so until Judy was 16, when a doctor diagnosed her with an ailment called sickle cell anemia. Nevertheless, the doctor would share the news only with Judy’s aunt, who said nothing to Judy about the diagnosis. Therefore, Judy’s frequent pain and fatigue would remain a mystery for most of her life. Along with veteran journalist Leroy Williams Jr., Judy wrote and self-published Living With Sickle Cell Disease to tell her story of living with sickle cell disease, which affects between 70,000 and 100,000 Americans and is present in one of every 500 African American births. The memoir also recounts how she evolved from victim into a staunch advocate for herself and other “sicklers” in the face of an insensitive medical profession and ignorance of sickle cell disease among the public. Judy hopes the book will create greater awareness of sickle cell disease and reassure its sufferers that they too can accomplish great things despite their illnesses. Judy would be happy to serve as a resource for editors and journalists seeking perspectives on sickle cell disease and other chronic illnesses. Living With Sickle Cell Disease is available in hard cover, paperback and e-book versions through http://www.lulu.com. Readers also may visit Judy’s website atwww.judygrayjohnson.com PRESS CONTACT: Judy Gray Johnson (703) 960-3397 jgjproductions@gmail.com Leroy Williams Jr. (856) 236-0860 kyash2909@msn.com