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Mohammed Abdulla Isa has had to put his dreams of becoming a geography teacher on hold because he suffers from sickle cell anaemia.
The 29-year old, who is employed as a compositor with Akbar Al Khaleej, was forced to abondon his university studies as he felt one of his tutors was unsympathetic to his plight and at the time he could not cope with the pressure.
Born to parents who are carriers of sickle cell trait Mohammed, from Isa Town, was diagnosed with the condition when he was just six months old.
While five of his siblings were clear, two of his brothers were also affected by the condition - one with the disease and the other a carrier of the problematic gene.
All his life Mohammed has had various mental and physical hurdles to cross.
"Whenever I get an attack I can feel a huge pressure in my veins. It hurts a lot," he said.
As a child Mohammed had to go to hospital every two weeks to control sudden attacks of pain or spasm.
However, from the age of 18 he suffered fewer pain attacks and was in better health.
But, on a visit to a health centre a year ago, Mohammed had an adverse reaction to an injection and had to be rushed to the Intensive Care Unit in Salmaniya Medical Complex.
He was admitted for a month in which time he lost six kilos in weight.
He said: "My biggest fear is fluctuations in the temperature. Chances of my getting an attack is high when I shift between extreme climate changes for instance from a hot room to a very cold room.
"I try to keep my mind calm and not to think about the pain or attacks ... something I am learning to do to help overtake my fear."
Leaving university, Mohammed set out on a job hunt that also soon turned out to be a tough endeavour.
He said: "I had been to various offices but no one gave me a job because of my condition.
"When I first applied for a job in Akbar Al Khaleej, I didn't tell the office about my condition as I was afraid they would reject me.
"However, I had to tell them about it later on as I had an eight-hour shift and it tired me real quick. The company has been extremely supportive and allows me a half-day shift."
Mohammed also feels his health condition may be a reason he hasn't found a partner yet.
He has faced many closed doors from girls and their families but remains far from dejected.
"I will get married someday ... after finding someone who will marry me and accept me with this condition," he said.
For the future he plans to complete his unfinished university education and eventually pursue a career teaching geography.
