A rare blood disorder that created a watercolour storytelling movement

Abstract

Hereditary elliptocytosis; those are the two words that echoed through the room of St Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, TN, USA) in the mid 80s to my parents. I was diagnosed with hereditary elliptocytosis after a few short years of genetic blood tests throughout my family. I was always an artsy child growing up—active in ballet, painting, and tap dance. My mother, who was a nurse at the time, noticed reoccurring jaundice in my eyes as well as unusual fatigue for a newborn. With a low haematocrit at just 1 month of age, my paediatrician immediately started mentioning options for a blood transfusion.