To the Joybridge Scholarship Committee, I'm truly grateful for the chance to apply for this scholarship, which champions the future I'm building in mental health research, brain health awareness, and diversity in neuroscience. As a minority, low-income undergraduate studying Neuroscience, my passion for mental health is profoundly personal, shaped by lived experience and a dedication to mending our healthcare system. My life with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) profoundly shaped my understanding of mental health. Though my physical healing after a bone marrow transplant was life-changing, it revealed the insidious, often invisible, mental health burdens that accompany chronic illness, especially in marginalized communities. Growing up Black in an urban US area, I felt isolated by SCD, living for nearly a decade in constant fear of pain crises, stroke, or even death – an anxiety that profoundly linked my physical and mental well-being. A cruel stigma persists: Sickle Cell Warriors are often accused of faking "invisible" pain, facing racist stereotypes as "drug-seekers." This bias fuels deep insecurities, contributing to higher rates of depression (20-40%) and anxiety (15-30%) among SCD patients compared to the general population. As a child, SCD's crushing fatigue meant I often couldn't keep pace with my brothers or classmates, who rarely understood my symptoms or frequent nurse visits. My personal journey through the Newark Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) solidified my resolve. Through intense group, individual, and psychiatric therapy, I mastered invaluable coping skills like radical acceptance and deep breathing, finding stability. I was discharged without needing immediate follow-up and remain in a good, stable mental place. I plan to continue utilizing these skills and engaging with CAMHS on campus. This experience illuminated the transformative power of mental health support, but also the devastating impact of its inaccessibility, particularly for financially limited and minority individuals lacking representative professionals. My career goal is to become a Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist, a path deeply intertwined with brain health and mental well-being. My Neuroscience studies at Harvard are fundamental to understanding how physical illness, brain function, and mental health outcomes connect. I aspire to practice holistic care, prioritizing the psychological and emotional needs of chronically ill children, especially those from underrepresented groups. I'm deeply committed to boosting diversity and inclusion in mental health research and care. As a Black, American-born individual of Nigerian and Cameroonian heritage, and a practicing Muslim, I bring a unique, intersectional perspective. I've seen firsthand the barriers to culturally responsive care. My independent advocacy brand, TRUE BELIEVER., unites marginalized communities through art and business to fight Black health disparities, including mental health burdens from conditions like SCD. Through this initiative and my wider advocacy (national conferences, news outlets, advisory groups), I actively work to elevate underrepresented voices and ensure community-informed care models. This scholarship would be a huge help, enabling me to complete my degree and dedicate myself even more fully to these critical endeavors. It would empower my research, expand TRUE BELIEVER.'s impact, and ultimately, as a future physician and advocate, allow me to contribute to building an equitable, accessible mental health system reflective of diverse communities. Thank you for considering my application. Sincerely, Hanif Mouehla

Dear Kalia D. Davis Scholarship Committee, I am writing to express my profound admiration for Kalia D. Davis and her inspiring legacy, and to humbly present my application for this scholarship. Kalia's remarkable work ethic, unwavering ambition, profound kindness, and relentless drive to excel resonate deeply with my own life's journey and fervent aspirations. It is an honor to learn about a young woman who so powerfully embodied excellence and a spirit of joyful living, extending her impact through leadership and genuine connection. As a 19-year-old rising sophomore at Harvard University, pursuing a pre-medical track with concentrations in Neuroscience and Art/Visual Studies, my academic pursuits are fueled by an uncompromising work ethic and a deep sense of purpose. My commitment extends beyond the classroom, as evidenced by my half a decade of dedicated research in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, which has led to four national publications. This level of engagement, especially as an undergraduate, speaks to an ambition driven by more than just personal achievement. It is intrinsically linked to my lived experience as a Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) survivor, an arduous journey that has instilled in me an unyielding drive to contribute to the medical field and champion health equity. Like Kalia, who excelled as a high school athlete and student leader, I too embraced the discipline of sports, playing football, and have consistently sought avenues for leadership and rigorous intellectual engagement. My dedication to community service and patient advocacy, mirroring Kalia's spirit of encouragement and generosity, forms the very core of my being. My commitment to giving back stems directly from my own healing process after undergoing a bone marrow transplant. For nearly a decade, I have volunteered and advocated extensively within the pediatric hematology/oncology/stem cell transplant space, striving to bridge gaps in understanding and access. My work extends to advocating and sharing my personal story on major news outlets, effectively amplifying awareness for SCD to a broad public. This public platform complements my deeper commitment through my own independent advocacy brand, TRUE BELIEVER. This initiative leverages the power of Black artists and entrepreneurs to raise awareness and funds for critical Black health disparities, beginning directly with SCD. My proactive engagement with healthcare leaders, including active participation in patient/medical advisory groups, contributions to non-profit organized webinars, and direct involvement in Sickle Cell treatment consultations, further underscores my dedication to driving impactful change from within the system. This scholarship would be an invaluable catalyst as I navigate the demanding academic landscape at Harvard and continue to expand the reach and tangible impact of TRUE BELIEVER. It would significantly alleviate the financial burden of my education, allowing me to dedicate more focused time and energy to vital research, innovative advocacy campaigns, and on-the-ground community initiatives. By supporting my efforts, this scholarship would not only powerfully honor Kalia's memory but also directly invest in a future where her spirit of excellence, her drive, and her passion for making a difference continue to inspire and empower tangible progress in the lives of others. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of my application. I am profoundly committed to living out the exemplary values Kalia D. Davis so brightly embodied. Sincerely, Hanif Mouehla

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College on the pre-medicine track. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%. After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs. Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

I was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at six months of age as both my mother and my late father carried the sickle cell trait, resulting in my two older brothers being carriers and leaving me with the disease per the 1:2:1 genotypic ratio. Throughout my childhood, I was frequently hospitalized due to many vaso-occlusive crises among other complications. In 2013, I suffered from acute chest syndrome, landing me in Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of WMCHealth located in Westchester County, NY, where I was hospitalized for about 12 weeks (about half of those being in a medically induced coma) with an initial survival rate of about 20%.  After this episode and being discharged from WMC, I missed the rest of my third-grade school year. I continued to have VOCs and chest complications still, but thankfully in the summer of 2014, my family was introduced to a potential clinical treatment option. In the summer of 2014, after undergoing chemotherapy, I received a familial haploidentical (with my mother as my haplo donor) allogeneic stem cell transplant researched by Dr. Mitchell Cairo, MD (Principal Investigator of the protocol and Chief of the WMCHealth Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation). Essentially, this treatment saved my life and cured me of sickle cell disease. It's been nearly a decade since that transplant and since then I've had no SCD-related complications including, but not limited to, any VOCs.  Now, I am a premedical student devoted to giving back and supporting SCD research initiatives the best way I can. After a youth filled with fundraising and advocacy for Dr. Cairo and his team, I now intern under his Hem/Onc/SCT Division at New York Medical College (academically affiliated with WMC), performing clinical research on the effects that the same stem cell transplant that I received can have on the fertility of survivors given the incorporation of chemotherapeutic drugs throughout it. In terms of volunteering, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the ones who saved my life). Now in college, I currently volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. This consists of mentoring kids with sickle cell disease weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Roughly 98% of individuals who suffer from sickle cell disease are Black or African American, highlighting a drastic health disparity that affects my community. As a result, I wish to utilize my platform at college to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a hematologist to help cure my community one sickle cell patient at a time.

When I was just 6 months old, my parents learned that I had sickle cell disease—a group of inherited red blood cell disorders that can cause any number of complications, including difficulty breathing, kidney problems and recurring pain crises, to name a few. It impacted me in three main ways: socially, physically, and educationally as I grew up with two older brothers who I couldn’t play with outside when it was too hot or too cold; I had acute chest syndrome and was placed on a ventilator, and I almost died. I also had to miss school and was in the hospital for most of my third grade year and all of my fourth grade year. But that all changed in 2014 when I met Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., a pediatric hematologist and oncologist, who gave me a new lot on life after undergoing a bone marrow transplant. My mom was my donor-I received chemotherapy, which eradicated my affected bone marrow with sickle cell anemia, then they placed my mom’s bone marrow inside of me through a stem cell transplant. Ever since then, I've been essentially cured, meaning that I hasn’t experienced any extended hospitalizations or pain crises in a decade. To give back to my community, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the one who saved my life). For more hands-on work, I went back to the Westchester Medical Center throughout the summer leading to my senior year to conduct research in one of Dr. Cairo's wet laboratories on severe aplastic anemia, which was another way I decided to give back to my community, assisting the efforts of the researchers devoted to curing hematologic diseases. In terms of volunteering, I am also a volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. As a volunteer, I mentor kids with sickle cell anemia weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities like sickle cell anemia.

When I was just 6 months old, my parents learned that I had sickle cell disease—a group of inherited red blood cell disorders that can cause any number of complications, including difficulty breathing, kidney problems, and recurring pain crises, to name a few. It impacted me in three main ways: socially, physically, and educationally as I grew up with two older brothers who I couldn’t play with outside when it was too hot or too cold; I had acute chest syndrome and was placed on a ventilator, and I almost died. I also had to miss school and was in the hospital for most of my third grade year and all of my fourth-grade year. But that all changed in 2014 when I met Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., a pediatric hematologist and oncologist, who gave me a new lot on life after undergoing a bone marrow transplant. My mom was my donor, and I received chemotherapy, which eradicated my affected bone marrow with sickle cell anemia; then, they placed my mom’s bone marrow inside of me through a stem cell transplant. For about ten years now, I've been essentially cured, meaning that I haven’t experienced any extended hospitalizations or pain crises in a decade. To give back to my community, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the one who saved my life). For more hands-on work, I went back to the Westchester Medical Center throughout the summer leading to my senior year to conduct research in one of Dr. Cairo's wet laboratories on severe aplastic anemia, which was another way I decided to give back to my community, assisting the efforts of the researchers devoted to curing hematologic diseases. In terms of volunteering, I am also a volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. As a volunteer, I mentor kids with sickle cell anemia weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities like sickle cell anemia.

When I was just 6 months old, my parents learned that I had sickle cell disease—a group of inherited red blood cell disorders that can cause any number of complications, including difficulty breathing, kidney problems and recurring pain crises, to name a few. It impacted me in three main ways: socially, physically, and educationally as I grew up with two older brothers who I couldn’t play with outside when it was too hot or too cold; I had acute chest syndrome and was placed on a ventilator, and I almost died. I also had to miss school and was in the hospital for most of my third grade year and all of my fourth grade year. But that all changed in 2014 when I met Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., a pediatric hematologist and oncologist, who gave me a new lot on life after undergoing a bone marrow transplant. My mom was my donor-I received chemotherapy, which eradicated my affected bone marrow with sickle cell anemia, then they placed my mom’s bone marrow inside of me through a stem cell transplant. Ever since then, I've been essentially cured, meaning that I hasn’t experienced any extended hospitalizations or pain crises in a decade. To give back to my community, I've done several different fundraising and advocacy throughout my youth. For instance, I took part in Dribble for the Cure at St. John's University, which has raised more than $500,000 to support the work of Dr. Cairo and his team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of Westchester Medical Center. I've also spoke at Radiothons, on NBC News 4, Lohud (the Journal News), and People Magazine, telling my story and giving my support for all of the hard work done by medical scientists around the world (especially the one who saved my life). For more hands-on work, I went back to the Westchester Medical Center throughout the summer leading to my senior year to conduct research in one of Dr. Cairo's wet laboratories on severe aplastic anemia, which was another way I decided to give back to my community, assisting the efforts of the researchers devoted to curing hematologic diseases. In terms of volunteering, I am also a volunteer for an organization called Next Step STRIVE. As a volunteer, I mentor kids with sickle cell anemia weekly, playing games and spending time with them in a welcoming environment. Currently, I am a rising sophomore at Harvard College planning to study Neurobiology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. I plan to use this education as a way to advocate for health disparities across the world, especially those that disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities like sickle cell anemia.