I did not know Tosyn Bucknor, neither did I have any prior knowledge of her good work and nature before her permanent transcendence of the world of physical form. After her departure, I watched the reactions to her transcendence with silent interest, but I was not in any way surprised by how much the world will miss her.

I understand that it was The Unseen Divine Intelligence – the Formless and Transcendental – The Only Truth – that manifested in a physical human form (the body and the mind) as a mere tool of existence in a life of physical form. Whereas, The Formless is infinite and transcendental without any limitation, its manifested physical form (a tool) – by default – is finite, with inherent limitations.

Tosyn Bucknor, in her physical form, had a life-long, permanent limitation. That limitation was Sickle-Cell Anemia. Tosyn’s transcendence as a result of the complications of the Sickle-Cell Disease should raise a critical question – Is the disease a Gift or a Curse? It is no doubt a devastating and demoralizing curse to human forms plagued by it. However, Sickle-Cell Anemia – a permanent limitation of an inherently limited physical form, a negative of a negative, is a potential gift to the world! Tosyn demonstrated this and became a gift to the world by allowing The Formless Light in her to break through the limitations of her physical form.

The inherent limitation of the body is pain, while that of the mind is ego – an identification with a false sense of self, an aggregate of the individual’s life-long conditioning. Tosyn conquered the limitation of the body by not identifying with the devastating chronic and acute pain and discomfort that sickle-cell patients often suffer. The pain and discomfort just could not stop her! Equally importantly, she also conquered the inherent limitation of the mind by staying true to her Form and embracing her own difference as a sickle-cell patient. The life - long stigma that Sickle-Cell patients often suffer was not enough to cause Tosyn to doubt her own true abilities and hinder her from pursuing her dreams and fulfilling her life’s purpose. Indeed, Tosyn Bucknor conquered the world (of form)!

With the knowledge of this limitless divine and universal truth, we intend to launch an initiative to inspire a generation to create a new economic structure for themselves, while committing to the alleviation of the pain and stigma of sickle-cell disease, and the eventual elimination of its scourge.

We will adopt a new approach. We will employ an infinite and limitless mindset and strategy, creating a completely new reality from the Formless. We will leverage on the development of a new generation of talents and thinkers waiting to blossom. We will forge strategic global partnerships. Our resolve will never waver. We will draw and renew our strengths from the bravery displayed by Tosyn and all others plagued by the scourge of sickle-cell disease, living and departed.

We will also ask questions and seek answers differently… How do Sickle-Cell Warriors (as they like to fondly refer to themselves) experience and deal with a life of pain? What makes them tick? How can this pain be alleviated, or better yet, relinquished? How did Tosyn transmute a life of pain to greatness and blessings for those impacted by her life? Could the young and deserving but struggling African generation – a generation also bedeviled by pain in many ways – learn and be inspired by Sickle-Cell Warriors to transmute pain to value and greatness for themselves and their world? Afterall, value is a product of pain!

We thank the family of Tosyn Bucknor for bequeathing the world with such a beautiful gift. We also hope and pray that Tosyn’s family and indeed everyone that loves Tosyn will take solace in the beautiful and limitless life she lived.

We invite you to come on this exploratory journey with us. Be limitless! Be a part of the Sickle-Inspired generation!

 

• Gafar Shittu is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Founder of Sickle-Inspired. He is also a Sickle-Cell patient.