Laughing Through the Pain

Channing, 16, has a rare and painful condition. But that doesn’t stop him from living his best life.

December 2026/January 2027

by Channing Bureau, as told to Anna Starecheski

Courtesy of Family

Channing enjoys some time outside during a hospital stay.

Kids at school know me as the class clown. I’m always ready with a joke. I’m outgoing and friendly. I love to dance and make TikToks. I’m usually laughing and smiling.

But some of my classmates would be shocked to know the truth. Behind that laughter, I’m often in pain. That’s because I have a rare medical condition called sickle cell disease (SCD).

Kids at school know me as the class clown. I’m always ready with a joke. I’m outgoing and friendly. I love to dance and make TikToks. I laugh and smile a lot.

Some of my classmates would be shocked to know the truth. I’m often in pain. That’s because I have a medical condition called sickle cell disease (SCD).

Kids at school know me as the class clown. I’m always ready with a joke. I’m outgoing and friendly. I love to dance and make TikToks. I’m usually laughing and smiling.

Some of my classmates would be astonished to discover that behind that laughter, I’m often in tremendous pain—because I have a rare medical condition called sickle cell disease (SCD).

In Crisis

Shutterstock.com

When I tell people that I have sickle cell disease, sometimes they’ll automatically take a step back. It’s like they’re afraid of catching it. But SCD isn’t contagious. It’s something you’re born with.

SCD is a disease that affects red blood cells. These are cells that carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body. In most people, red blood cells are shaped kind of like doughnuts without a hole in the middle. With SCD, they’re shaped like a tool called a sickle.

These misshapen cells can clog up smaller blood vessels—the tiny tubes that move blood through our body. This causes all sorts of problems, including bad pain. I usually describe the pain like being shocked with a Taser.

To manage my SCD, I need to avoid exerting myself. Basically, I have a time limit on physical activities. I can do most things for 10 to 20 minutes before I need to rest. If the weather is hot or cold, I have to be even more careful.

If I don’t listen to my body and rest, it can trigger what’s called a pain crisis.

I get really tired, and the pain gets so bad that it’s hard to walk. Then I have to rest for a few days to recover.

Sometimes I have to go to the hospital. There I get treated with pain medicine. I also get a medicine that’s usually used for treating cancer. For people with SCD, it helps keep our red blood cells flexible. I’m always trying new treatments to keep the pain under control.

When I tell people I have sickle cell disease, sometimes they’ll take a step back. It’s like they’re afraid of catching it. But SCD isn’t contagious. It’s something you’re born with.

SCD is a disease that affects red blood cells. These cells carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body. In most people, red blood cells are shaped kind of like doughnuts without a hole in the middle. With SCD, they’re shaped like a tool called a sickle.

These misshapen cells can clog up smaller blood vessels—the tiny tubes that move blood through our body. This causes problems, including bad pain. I usually describe the pain like being shocked with a Taser.

To manage my SCD, I need to avoid exerting myself. I have a time limit on physical activities. I can do most things for 10 to 20 minutes before I need to rest. If it’s hot or cold out, I have to be even more careful.

If I don’t rest, it can trigger what’s called a pain crisis. I get really tired, and the pain gets so bad that it’s hard to walk. Then I have to rest for days to recover.

When I tell people that I have sickle cell disease, sometimes they’ll automatically take a step back, like they’re afraid of catching it. But SCD isn’t contagious. It’s something you’re born with.

SCD is a disease that affects red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body. In most people, red blood cells are shaped kind of like doughnuts without a hole in the middle. With SCD, they’re shaped like a tool called a sickle.

These misshapen cells can clog up smaller blood vessels—the tiny tubes that move blood through our body. This causes all sorts of problems, including terrible pain. To describe the pain, I usually say it’s like being shocked with a Taser.

To manage my SCD, I need to avoid exerting myself. Essentially, I have a time limit on physical activities. I can do most things for 10 to 20 minutes before I need to rest. If the weather is hot or cold, I have to be even more cautious.

Failing to listen to my body and rest can trigger something called a pain crisis. I become extremely tired, and the pain gets so intense that it’s difficult to walk. Then I have to rest for a few days to recover.

Sometimes I have to go to the hospital, where I get treated with pain medicine. I also get a medication that’s typically used for treating cancer. For people with SCD, it helps keep our red blood cells flexible. I’m always trying new treatments to keep the pain under control.

Finding Connection

SCD is rare—only about 100,000 people in the United States have it. When I was little, I thought I was the only one. The first time I met someone else with SCD was in middle school. I came home so excited. I couldn’t wait to tell my parents that there was a kid in my class just like me.

Then I learned about a program at the hospital where I’m treated. It’s called the Sickle Squad. It’s a group of teenagers with SCD. They get together once a month. They support each other. They talk to younger kids with SCD. They even teach doctors and nurses about what it’s really like to live with SCD.

I was so excited to join. I wanted to connect with other people who shared my struggles. And it was cool to think about helping other people understand SCD.

SCD is rare. Only about 100,000 people in the United States have it. When I was little, I thought I was the only one. The first time I met someone else with SCD was in middle school. I was so excited. I couldn’t believe there was a kid just like me.

Then I learned about a program at the hospital where I’m treated. It’s called the Sickle Squad. It’s a group of teens with SCD. They get together once a month. They support each other. They talk to younger kids with SCD. They even teach doctors and nurses about what it’s like to live with SCD.

I was so excited to join. I wanted to connect with other people who shared my struggles. And I wanted to help other people understand SCD.

SCD is rare—only about 100,000 people in the United States have it. When I was younger, I thought I was the only one. The first time I met someone else with SCD was in middle school. I came home so excited. I couldn’t wait to tell my parents that there was a kid in my class just like me.

Then I learned about a program called the Sickle Squad at the hospital where I’m treated. It’s a group of teenagers with SCD who get together once a month. They support each other, talk to younger kids with SCD, and even teach doctors and nurses about what it’s really like to live with SCD.

I was so excited to join. I wanted to connect with other people who shared my struggles, and I also liked the idea of helping other people understand SCD.

Sharing and Coping

I’ve been a part of the Sickle Squad for a few years now. It’s a really important part of my life. It’s so cool to get to spend time with people who understand what I’m going through. I don’t have to explain when I’m in pain—they just get it.

We also learn from each other. We share advice and coping skills. One member of the group is in college now. He tells us what it’s like and how he gets through tough times. It’s really helpful, and it makes me excited about my own future.

The biggest thing I’ve learned in the Sickle Squad is to be open about my SCD. Since it’s not something people can see when they look at you, it can be tempting to hide it. But I realized that doesn’t help me or anyone else.

If I’m open about having SCD, I can connect with other people who have it. I can educate people who don’t have it. And I can get help when I need it.

I’ve been a part of the Sickle Squad for a few years now. It’s an important part of my life. It’s good to spend time with people who understand what I’m going through. I don’t have to explain when I’m in pain. They just get it.

I’ve learned a lot from the Sickle Squad. I’ve learned to be open about my SCD. It’s easy to hide. It’s not something people see when they look at me. But hiding it doesn’t help me or anyone else.

If I’m open about having SCD, I can connect with other people who have it. I can teach people who don’t have it. And I can get help when I need it.

I’ve been a part of the Sickle Squad for a few years now, and it has become a really important part of my life. I enjoy the experience of spending time with people who understand what I’m going through. I don’t have to explain when I’m in pain—they just get it.

We also learn from each other. We share advice and coping skills. One member of the group is in college now. He tells us what it’s like and how he gets through tough times. Hearing about his experiences is really helpful, and it makes me excited about my own future.

The biggest thing I’ve learned in the Sickle Squad is to be open about my SCD. Since it’s not something people can see when they look at you, it can be tempting to hide it. But I’ve realized that hiding it doesn’t benefit me or anyone else.

If I’m open about having SCD, I can connect with other people who have it. I can educate people who don’t have it. And I can get help when I need it.