What does it mean to truly overcome adversity, then use that triumph to empower others? For Jimi Olaghere, it was to turn the lifelong battle of sickle cell disease into a powerful platform for change and innovation. Today, as a father, entrepreneur, and global advocate, he is living proof that a personal cure can become a communal mission.

Early Struggles and a Life of Limits

Jimi Olaghere was born in Nigeria and later moved with his family to New Jersey at a young age. Jimi spent most of his early years in constant pain and frequent hospital trips. He experienced heart attacks, gallbladder removal, and spent up to 80% of his time bedridden for 35 years. Even something as simple as playing soccer meant needing to take frequent breaks. “Sickle cell was like a dream killer for me,” he recalled later.

A Second Chance at Life via Gene Editing

In 2019, he enrolled in a clinical trial using CRISPR-based gene editing (Casgevy); the world’s very first officially approved CRISPR therapy. Infused in September 2020, the treatment rolled back the clock by restoring fetal hemoglobin production, essentially putting an end to pain crises and eliminating emergency hospital visits. He is now virtually pain-free more than three years after his treatment.

Scaling Kilimanjaro for a Cause

Jimi Olaghere did not leave things there. In 2024, he was the first sickle cell patient to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, raising awareness and money for Sickle Forward, a non-profit organization that promotes screenings and access to treatment in Africa. He climbed this Kilimanjaro as part of the Timmerman Traverse for Sickle Forward. It featured 20 biotech leaders and patient activists raised $2.2 million to improve diagnosis and treatment of sickle cell disease in Africa, as well as research of sickle cell disease at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. The expedition embodied both his freedom as a person and the hope available for millions still suffering from sickle cell anemia.

From Survivor to Entrepreneur and Advocate

Now based in Atlanta, he is a father of three and runs tech and investment companies like Sugarloaf Capital. He is also a prominent conference speaker at biotech events like DIA 2025 and CRISPRMED25, where he advocates for global access to gene therapy.

Jimi Olaghere remains deeply connected to Nigeria. During the 2025 Global Sickle Cell Congress in Abuja, he called for locally produced gene therapies, aiming to make access affordable to many Nigerians living with sickle cell anemia.

Jimi’s medical breakthrough proves that the world has made significant progress to the cure of sickle cell. It also shows that anything is possible and with the necessary actions in place, Nigeria can provide this solution to its citizens. Jimi continues to advocate for blood and platelet donors, oft-needed in gene therapy, and honors the vital community support.

By using his cure as a force for transformation, Jimi Olaghere exemplifies the ability of science and advocacy to change lives, both individual and communal. His story is one of a miraculous transformation from a childhood filled with series of pain to world stages, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Nigerian policy forums. And that is just the beginning.

Find out more about Jimi Olaghere and the gene-editing treatment that gave him new life here.