To any other child, jumping on a trampoline is a simple thrill and adventure, but when Skylar was younger, that excitement came at a cost: a sickle cell pain crisis. She was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at birth and has been managing its symptoms her entire life under the guidance of her parents. “At the age of 4, my parents advised me about sickle cell and always told me to stay hydrated and to not push myself so hard,” Skylar said. It was when she was playing at a trampoline park, jumping to her heart’s content, that she realized what pushing too hard really meant. She ended up with a sickle cell pain crisis and unbearable levels of pain. Sickle cell disease distorts red blood cells and prevents them from flowing smoothly and carrying oxygen to the rest of the body. When these red blood cells get stuck in the blood vessels and block blood flow throughout the body, the result is a pain crisis. Now 16 years old, Skylar still experiences these crises, with pain ricocheting th...