"World's Oldest Person Living With Sickle Cell", Asiata Onikoyi Laguda, Turns 91

Asiata Onikoyi-Laguda, who is believed to be the oldest person in the world living with sickle cell disease, clocked 91 on November 1, 2016.

She was born in 1925, the same year as Margaret Thatcher, first female British prime minister and Malcolm X (the African-American civil rights activist).

At that time of her birth, 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 91.

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 first 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 children.

Through God's grace and proper medical care, Mrs Laguda has survived and is alive to celebrate her 91st birthday!