The Nation Media Group has lost one of its top, award-winning journalists to Sickle Cell Anemia.

The Nation journalist, Elizabeth Merab, lost her battle with the disease on Saturday morning. She had been living with the disease for over 20 years, having been diagnosed at the age of ten years after frequent visits to the hospital.

“I was diagnosed at the age of 10. It was after so many painful tests that my doctor told my parents about my condition,” she said in a previous media interview.

Elizabeth Merab was one of the best health journalists who have ever worked at the media house. She bagged multiple top healtg awards for her work as a journalist.

Merab often shared her journey fighting Sickle Cell Anemia on her social media channels. In her last update that she made in January while undergoing treatment at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Merab share that a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) had been placed on my right hand.

The PICC wass expected to stay there for the next 4 months! “Where’s my area MP I supply his area with stable power?” she joked.

“I also had Trigger Point nerve blocks injections from my neck down to my lower back. You should have seen how Doc, who was holding 12-14″ needles that were going through me was dancing to Kizz Daniel and Peru, Para as he came to shoot his shots on me. But this Doc makes my pain journey something of a marvel.”

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Paying tribute to her, Wayua Muli who is a former editor and the founder of the podcast Failure Effect said Merab had faced Sickle Cell Anemia with utmost bravery and created awareness around the illness.

“Elizabeth Merab was such a fighter. She fought for every step she took, every breath she breathed, every moment of happiness she enjoyed, every article she wrote… she stared sickle cell down and showed it it would never take her joy away. May she rest in peace,” she said.

Journalist Kwamchetsi Makokha said, “I never met Elizabeth Merab in person but felt that I knew her and greatly admired her for her courage, love for life, talent and intelligence. I feel such loss, and also guilt that I should feel so.”