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Akilah Murib Coleman

@ak.gobang

40K

followers

766

following

NFL Wife•Mother
Philanthropist•Humanitarian
Sickle Cell & Autism Advocate
Atlanta Real Estate
Private Client Relocation
African American•Palestinian

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Random History Facts:
My parents’ story began on the same street- my dad’s father (Robinson ✊🏾) owned a body shop, and my mom’s father (Murib 🇵🇸) owned a gas station.

One day, my mom’s father was shot multiple times during an attempted robbery at the family gas station. My dad’s father just happened to be there and saved my mom’s little brother, who was only a toddler at the time.

My mom’s father didn’t survive that day… I never had the honor of meeting him, but I’ve always heard he was a phenomenal man. Many years later, my brother Mohammed and I entered the world blending the two families.

Random History Facts About My Husband:
Everyone knows my husband as an NFL player, but he’s also Liberian 🇱🇷 His great-great-great-grandfather was the President of Liberia at the turn of the 20th century.

Liberians are descendants of formerly enslaved people who returned to Africa after the abolition of slavery.

My husband’s greatest goal has always been to return to his ancestral homeland to rebuild what was destroyed. He’s already taken many steps toward restoring what was lost. He’s not as vocal or open as I am, but his love for Africa is one of my favorite things about him. Our conversations are always rich with history and stories passed down firsthand. ❤️ by @ak.gobang

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a year ago

Perception- “One man’s weakness is also another man’s strength”
Which man do you want to be? taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @ak.gobang

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3 years ago

A short story about the most resilient girl I know.
Nazaneen spent some time on a BiPAP ventilator machine which essentially means she couldn’t breathe on her own & needed the machine to expand her lungs & breathe for her. She also received her first blood transfusion.

I admire & envy the self control @teco_raww26 has because when Nazaneen was placed on the ventilator I fell to my knees hyperventilating. I was swinging in & out of consciousness, it’s a feeling unexplainable watching your child literally fight to breathe. Tevin managed to calm my spirit while managing his own. I’m so sorry for that because it doesn’t leave space for him to go through the motions.

It’s really hard for any parent to be this kind of vulnerable & transparent but we feel it’s important because we share so many of our highs & our successions that it would be disingenuous & misleading not to share this.
I’ve realized one of the hardest things for me to do as a parent, wife & woman is to surrender. I cannot always control the outcome & that is such a hard pill to swallow. We have moments in life where we are often stripped of legacy, wealth & success & nothing else matters but the air in our lungs. No amount of hard work or dedication can alter this. It’s humbling but inspiring when we rise back up.

Stay until the end to see how our girl is doing today & hear the sweetest message from Nazzys class. She listened to that message more times than I can count. Even when she couldn’t speak & all she could do was cry that audio was on repeat for two weeks in the hospital. I think it kept her spirits up & determined to fight. It serves as a reminder of the power of friendship no matter the age! ❤️
#sicklecell #sicklecellawareness by @ak.gobang

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3 years ago

We were on set, actively filming something special (you’ll hear more on later) when @genetix_biotx gave us something we’ll never forget, something we couldn’t authentically give Nazaneen on our own.

My daughter finally had a MIRROR!!!

As a mother, please understand how this moment made my heart full. Heavy, but full…

These moments can’t be scripted or rehearsed. You just have to catch them in their truest, most vulnerable form. This is humanity. This is what reminds us of our purpose in this lifetime.

Tully and the whole @mythreesicklers family, we’re blessed to have had the honor of meeting you! Thank you for taking the time to meet Nazzy and giving her hope.

Thank you @nflalumni for standing with us as we bring more awareness to our people and talk about options and opportunities for those living with Sickle Cell Disease.

#SickleCellAwareness #SickleCell #NFLAlumni #genetix by @ak.gobang

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7 days ago

Raising Sickle Cell Disease Awareness isn’t only for September, it’s everyday of every year in our home. Sickle Cell Disease is at the forefront of our community and our family, especially because our daughter, Nazaneen lives with Sickle Cell Disease.

I’m proud to announce we’ve officially kicked off our partnership with @NFLAlumni and @genetix_biotx in raising awareness and helping families learn more about the treatment options available today.

Our first call to action was at the African American Day parade in Harlem. Thank you to everyone who came out to our booth, listened to our story and learned more life saving options. The highlight of the entire event for us was meeting Sebastian, an amazing young man who is thriving after receiving life saving treatment, who gives us hope for our own daughter.

#SickleCellAwarenessMonth #SickleCellDisease #NFLAlumni #Genetix taken in Harlem, New York City by @ak.gobang

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20 days ago

In this video, I’m speaking to a young man who spent his life fighting the ugliest sides of Sickle Cell Disease. Today, his body is Sickle Cell–free. Beside me is his mother. I’ve met a lot of inspiring people, but THIS moment shifted something in me forever. (More on this event + the incredible people I shared the stage with in my next post, for now I have to get a few things out there)

I have nothing to sell you. No elevator pitch. I’m just a mom with a platform who wants to help bridge the gap and help you cross it if you’re in this fight because I hope one day my daughter can cross it too.

I pray Nazaneen knows we did everything in our power to fight for her and everyone living with Sickle Cell Disease.

I pray she knows I’ll cry 1,000 tears to keep her from dropping one.

I pray she knows we were scared and vulnerable, and did it anyway to move the needle for her.

I pray she trusts that I’ll find every one of God’s angels on earth and build her prayer circle, one by one.

I pray she believes in miracles and knows she’s worthy of them too.

I pray I’m always led to the one yes in a sea of no’s…

No one should walk this road alone and you don’t have to. Our mission is to get as much information into our community as possible and help connect the dots.

-So much more to come on our new partnership advocating for progressive options for Sickle Cell Disease patients!!! 🤍#sicklecell #sicklecellawareness #africanamericanpride 🤍 taken in Harlem, New York City by @ak.gobang

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a month ago

Louisiana had my girl in a chokehold & Nebraska. The attitude she gave because “I” forgot Tennessee & Texas... 😂😂😂

Nazaneen has so much personality & is so much fun to be around. It’s easy to forget she a patient of AFLAC, the Cancer & Blood Disorder Hospital. She’s already missed 4 days of school due to Sickle Cell disease complications (we’ve only been in school for 3 weeks). I still have to advocate + fight for her in spaces she isn’t understood because when she’s feeling great it’s hard to visualize her in a crisis. This video is a great example of her energy on a good day, but when she’s down boy is she down.

Over the summer one of our momma & me lessons were I taught her the 50 States in alphabetical order & their locations. Idk when I learned it but I know I learned it & I never forgot it. 😂

She literally begged to make this video for yall. She wants to make it into a song & dance to put it on her YouTube. 😂❤️ by @ak.gobang

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2 months ago

Thank you @chomps pretty sure this was equivalent to Christmas over here! 😂 Stay until the end to hear neze say “thank you CHOMPS” ❤️ by @ak.gobang

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2 months ago

Yalla habibi, it’s time for a Palestinian Moroccan wedding! 🇵🇸❤️🇲🇦 by @ak.gobang

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4 months ago

Sickle Cell causes Nazzy frequent pain episodes that can range from unbearable & immobilizing to muscle aches & fatigue. There are times when even a light touch makes her scream in agony & other times all she wants is to be held and massaged.

I think we need to talk more about the things that actually help, so other families find the courage to share too. We have to learn from each other!

As caregivers, we want to fix everything. We feel like we’re supposed to know everything. But there aren’t enough products or resources made with our kids in mind, so when we find something that helps, we really can’t afford to gatekeep it.

So here’s one small thing that helped us avoid a hospital visit during Nazzy’s recent Sickle Cell crisis.

We use @drteals restorative mineral epsom salt as part of her comfort routine, along with a gentle body wash and a foaming bath. Nazzy loves the vitamin C & lavender scents, but the epsom salt is her favorite because she feels like it helps the most.
(Not shown is the Dr Teals hemp body oil we also use.)

We dim the lights + use a red light during her bath. Red light has many benefits, at the very least, it helps her relax + improves her mood. -We also have an inferred sauna that can be used without high heat but Nazzy tends to prefer this method.

Every family managing a disease or disability learns their own comfort routine. This is just a small piece of ours. Sickle Cell pain comes fast, so I keep everything in one place so I can focus on her instead of scrambling.

This isn’t an ad. Just a mama sharing something that helps my girl! 🤍 #sicklecell #sicklecellawareness by @ak.gobang

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7 months ago

🤍 3/13 Our Anniversary 🤍

My take away so far-
We can all take fire pictures but that means nothing. Love was never about picture-perfect moments and more about the moments nobody sees.

The hardships we handle in times of vulnerability are what build strong bonds. That looks different for everyone but for us it’s the weight of being a special needs family, carrying ancestral stories with pride, being in the spot light where your wins and losses are made public yet still having a partner who shields you from the worst of it.

The best thing you can do for your future self is: Find your people!!! Your partner. Your tribe. Find the ones who fill your heart with light even when life feels heavy. We’ve all felt the global shifts… the pressure, the expectations, the sacrifices.
All the more reason why you shouldn’t settle for comfort or convenience… find someone you can go through growing pains with, someone who respects you enough to water you and will shine their light on you when your own light feels dimmed. 🤍

💍Fun wedding fact fact💍
Engaged March 13.
Married March 13.
(Planned around football season… in case we made the Super Bowl 😂)

Wedding day was Friday the 13th… AKA the day COVID shut the world down. Wasn’t superstitious then but I am now! Bc what you mean the world is closed?? 😰

(Bright side- We did go to the Super Bowl that year… didn’t win but we were there, which still counts 😂)

Anyway, Happy Anniversary to my partner in everything.
I’d choose you again.
In every lifetime. 🤍 by @ak.gobang

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7 months ago

Autism parenting is celebrating things other parents would be offended by 😭

I always get asked why I share more about sickle cell than autism.
Truth is… my daughter wants people to understand her journey. My son doesn’t really have a way to communicate that yet or understand what that means. So I try to protect his story while still celebrating him. These are delicate subjects. It’s not easy throwing your life out there. But I live by shining light into dark corners so our lived experiences feel less alone. If it gives me a knot in my throat, I talk about it even louder until that knot is gone.

Video backstory:
My “nonverbal” son who allegedly only has about 50 words looked me dead in my face and told me:

“Get out.”
Sir… GET OUT?? 😩

I just had to sit there like… Well… technically it’s communication progress… let me quickly hop up so he knows I hear him loud and clear! I guess now we’re at about 52 words. 😂
If he didn’t have autism we’d definitely be discussing tone and respect immediately because excuse me?! 😂
But instead I’m over here like:
Okay… boundaries AND vocabulary growth… I’ll take it 😭
Autism parenting really have you like: “GIRL!!! Guess what?? Neze told me to get out his room and made eye contact!!!” 😂💀

QUESTION FOR MY #Autism #SpecialNeeds #Neurodiversity PARENTS:

What “wild” things have you celebrated where you were like… “A win is a win!”
I really wanna know… please SPILL!!! 😂🤍 by @ak.gobang

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7 months ago