You probably wouldn't guess this college freshman has sickle cell disease.
She went through a lot as a kid, but now she's finally coming out strong.
Taylor Delk just started college in Atlanta, and she can't wait to get into dating for the first time.
However, she has one major concern: when and how should she tell the boys she likes that she has a serious disease?
All photos via Taylor Delk.
Taylor has sickle cell disease — a genetic disorder that affects the health of red blood cells and can cause extreme pain, tissue damage, impaired fertility, strokes, and even early death. She has type SS, which occurs when you inherit copies of the hemoglobin S gene from both parents. It's the most common form of the disease and also the hardest on the body. It means she can experience the worst symptoms like regular fatigue, joint pain, anemia and infections at a higher rate.
But perhaps the hardest aspect of her disease is that you can't tell she has it just by looking at her.
"It’s always hard to open up to people [about the disease] at first," Taylor says. "Sometimes I would feel embarrassed, because it’s not normal, really."
While she's always had sickle cell disease, that doesn't make talking about it any easier.
As a young kid, she got very sick all the time, which often required regular trips to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. A couple of times she even had acute chest syndrome, which is a severe side effect of sickle cell disease that causes intense chest pain and can be life-threatening.
Needless to say, she missed a lot of school.
She was usually open with her close friends about her condition, but other kids at school would occasionally question her about her illness because they couldn't see any evidence of it.
Taylor (second from the left) with her fellow varsity cheerleaders.
"I remember when I was younger, my peers would be like, 'Well you don’t look sick,'" Taylor recalls.
She'd find herself having to say things like, "I’m not sick right now, but, you know, I am. My body is not the same as yours."
For example, she can experience pain spikes that start at a 4 on the pain scale and suddenly jump to a 9, but they don't always show on her face.
The disease ramped up during her adolescence, likely because her body was growing and changing rapidly. However, once she reached her senior year, her symptoms began to mellow out. But that doesn't mean she can't still have a pain crisis anytime anywhere.
She's learned to cope with the effects because of her amazing support system, starring her mom.
Taylor at prom.
"My mom never leaves the hospital," Taylor says. "She never leaves me by myself." Her extended family also checks in with her on the regular and even stays to help out for days at a time during Taylor's more severe episodes.
Her mom also constantly encourages her to talk candidly about her disease, which should help her as she makes her way through college.
"My mom made me tell people," Taylor recalls. "I think she wanted me to be comfortable with myself."
The encouragement seems to have helped. Taylor now finds it much easier to be open about it, even with people she doesn't know as well. She realizes people need to know in case she finds herself in a crisis without her family nearby.
They also need to know so that future generations of people with sickle cell disease don't feel like they have to hide it.
Even though her symptoms have settled, Taylor's still talking about sickle cell disease, not just for herself, but for everyone.
Taylor at the airport with her friend Alexis.
Especially her little sister, who also has sickle cell disease.
Taylor's sister Trinity is 11 years old and has the same type of sickle cell disease Taylor has, but so far, her case seems to be less severe. However, that hasn't stopped Taylor from being a good big sister — aka pestering Trinity to take care of herself.
She constantly tells Trinity to drink water and gives her tips for coping with pain crises, like take a walk, use heat pads, listen to music, and talk to someone to distract yourself.
And most importantly, she encourages Trinity to be open about her disease so she grows up without any shame.
Now that Taylor's on the precipice of a new adventure, she plans to live life to the fullest, sickle cell disease be damned.
Taylor at high school graduation.
Yes, that means making new friends and meeting boys, but it also means starting out on a path towards an exciting career. She's taking pre-law classes and plans to become a lawyer, which is not a stress-free field. And even though stress has been known to exacerbate symptoms, Taylor's not shying away from her dream.
She's also trying not to shy away from talking about her disease with new people. She knows the more who understand it, the less alone people who have it will feel. Caregivers at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center know that too, which is why they offer counseling and support groups for children living with sickle cell disease as well as their parents.
And who knows, that candidness could lead to an amazing new relationship.
To learn more about sickle cell disease or the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, visit choa.org/fightsicklecell.
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."