Meet Darnell
Darnell is 12 years old and is slowly losing his sight. Darnell has what is known as sickle cell disease. His condition means that some of his blood cells have a different shape than normal – the shape of a half moon, instead of a circle – and because of their shape these cells can have a hard time travelling through his body, especially in his eyes. When he is having a bad time with his disease he goes to the hospital, and they give him medicine to ease any pain in his body and to help his blood cells stay in a circular shape.
Darnell is from New York City. He lives with his mother and two sisters, but his father passed away when he was younger. Darnell loves music and wants to grow up to be a rapper; he can freestyle rap about anyone and anything, usually making jokes while he does. Darnell is very protective of his friends and family.
As a Young Superhero named D-Tek, Darnell uses extra senses he is gaining as he loses his vision that let him do things like read the minds of other people. As with all people that lose their vision, his existing senses are heightened – he can hear things, smell things, and feel the things he touches in ways that normal people cannot. Unlike most people, Darnell is also gaining different superhuman abilities as he loses his sight, abilities that he doesn’t yet fully understand.
