Consider the following after viewing the artwork:
- What does this graphic narrative communicate about the experience of living with sickle cell disease?
- How might this story influence the way healthcare providers communicate with patients who live with invisible or chronic illnesses?
- How is donor blood framed as a source of hope?
- How do the various elements of the graphic narrative (e.g., color, images, layout) contribute to the emotional tone of the story? What might be lost if this story were told only in words?
Artist Statement
This one-page comic was an NHS funded project commissioned by Donor Research and The University of Brighton. We wanted to create a story that would resonate with sickle cell patients and raise awareness on the condition. After meetings with patients and medical professionals, I came up with the idea of creating a narrative of a woman’s life journey with her condition and the challenges she faces with her blood. I wanted to make a clear connection between the science of sickle cell and the lived experience. It explains the condition from within, how the blood cells form into a sickle shape and get blocked in the veins causing great pain. It is also a call for action for people to donate blood as many patients rely on blood transfusions.
About the Artist
Maya Cracknell is a Polish-English illustrator and comic artist and recent graduate in illustration from the University of Brighton. She creates work inspired by personal life, relationships, mental health, and neurodivergence, often with a thoughtful and expressive touch. Most recently, she collaborated with other artists on an NHS-funded Donor Research project, creating comics to help raise awareness about sickle cell. You can visit her on Instagram at @maya.cracknell or on her website at https://www.mayacracknell.com.
