Anne Welsh has not allowed a life-threatening disease to hold her back. Today she is a successful Instagram influencer, author and entrepreneur but at the age of three she was diagnosed with Sickle Cell anaemia.

She lived much of her early life in Nigeria and had to face many problems living with that disease in a developing country. Doctors told her that she would only live until a certain age, that she wouldn’t be able to have children or even finish her studies. Since then she has married, had children, completed an MSc and had a successful career in banking.

Anne is a vocal advocate for sufferers of Sickle Cell disease. She has appeared on both TV and radio and has written a memoir to raise awareness about the impact invisible diseases such as Sickle Cell can have both on individuals and their families.

Having frequently battled with depression, Anne is all too aware of the sometimes unseen difficulties faced by sufferers of life-threatening illnesses. Through her book and by her Instagram activity she hopes to help others improve their mental and physical wellbeing and enable them to achieve a joyful and fulfilling life where they never let their illness define who they are.