Villy Nteko (12) has sickle cell anemia.

How long have you had sickle cell disease?

All my life. I can remember my first crisis, when I was eight. I can’t remember anything before that.

Do you have pain?

Sometimes. When I do, I have to go into hospital. I either have a pain in my back or I feel a shooting pain every time I move.

What can you do to prevent it?

Eat a healthy diet, brush my teeth properly, take it easy and drink plenty of fluids.

What do you have to do when you have a crisis?

I take special pills to reduce it or I take Paracetamol and if that doesn’t help, I have to call a doctor. They’ll admit me to hospital then. I've never been really hospitalised. I've never been in the Accident & Emergency department but I did have to stay overnight once.

And when you’re doing well?

I used to have medicines but I no longer have to take them because I get an injection now every five years, Pneumovax, which protects me. Against lung infections and fevers and stuff.

Do your classmates understand your illness?

Yes because in the beginning, I had to keep a tally of how much I drank, so they asked me about it. I told them what the disease entails. I’m now writing a report and they can read that too. I've been at this school for two years now and I have friends.

Do you tell your friends when you're not doing well?

I tell them I may get pains if I don't drink enough. So they know what to expect and don’t get into a panic and start thinking weird things. They just know.

Do you feel a fit coming on?

Sometimes. I usually get a headache. I start drinking more and if that doesn’t help, I take Paracetamol. And if that doesn’t help, I take Broxil, that’s a special pill if you have a fever. I also take vitamin K and D and I also take pills for my ADHD.

How do you know you have ADHD?

It all gets a bit chaotic inside my head. If that happens, I do things before I think about them. I take Ritalin.

How are things at school?

They're fine, yeah. At the Jenaplan school, we do the NIO and I've already completed it. It's a test.

What will you be doing after this?

I want to follow secondary education in Dordrecht. And after that, I’m thinking of doing something in archaeology.

Do you play any sports?

I have judo classes, which I really enjoy and I’m doing well.

Do you remind yourself to take your medicine?

Usually, Patrick has to remind me. I forget about them quite often.

How do you see your future?

I don't worry too much but I do think I’ll be different than others later on in life. I’ll probably take things a bit easier, taking care of certain things. Not that I’ll be particularly special or anything, just that I may not be able to join in with everything. I still have to learn how far I can go. That certainly has to do with sickle cell disease.