Life Reimagined: How Innovation and Community Are Redefining Sickle Cell Treatment

Kwincy and Kwinton Lassiter came into the world together as fraternal twins, born minutes apart. But from the beginning, their journeys would be extremely different.

Kwincy was born with sickle cell disease, the most common genetic blood disorder in the U.S. Kwinton was not.

"When they said baby B may have sickle cell disease, I just was in tears," recalls their mother, Ericka Lassiter. ‘At the time, the life expectancy for young men with sickle cell was only 25 to 26 years old…I was just scared."

Ericka knew she carried sickle cell trait. But her husband Kwamie, who had played football for the NFL, had never been screened, and sickle cell trait testing wasn't standard for athletes at the time.

For 16 years, Ericka watched her other sons play sports while Kwincy watched from the sidelines. Between birth and age 16, over 70 blood transfusions kept Kwincy alive while battling silent strokes, multiple episodes of acute chest syndrome, and bouts of pneumonia.

"Growing up with sickle cell, I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital," Kwincy recalls. "I couldn't do as much as my brothers, such as sports or much physical activity, and during the school year I missed a lot of school."

For his twin brother Kwinton, watching Kwincy's strength inspired his own perseverance.

"He was my Superman," Kwinton says.

The Power of Blood

In the Lassiter household, blood transfusions had a special name: "juice".

"We would be like: 'let's go get your juice,'" Ericka recalls. "And that's when I'd grab my bag because we were going to be [at the hospital] at least four or five days." "When Kwincy received a blood transfusion, it was like a whole different child. His color would come back. He was silly. He was back to not just lying there crying and in pain."

Kwincy also remembers what those moments felt like.

"Receiving the blood transfusions helped with the pain," he reflects. "It's kind of just like flushing new blood in and getting the sickled cells cycled through. You feel fresh and stronger. It's really just lifesaving."

A Family Decision

At 14, after Kwincy experienced two episodes of acute chest syndrome, a life-threatening, emergency lung complication of sickle cell disease, the family faced the critical decision to pursue a bone marrow transplant. For patients with sickle cell disease, a bone marrow transplant uses healthy blood stem cells from a compatible donor to replace bone marrow that is not producing healthy blood cells.

"I didn't want my son to be an adult experiencing sickle cell," Ericka explains. "If there was a chance that Kwincy could be cured, we should at least try."

When doctors outlined the risks, including death, Kwincy was terrified. But the family moved forward together. The journey was uphill. No one in their family was a suitable bone marrow match, and their first donor backed out. Then they found Bree through the NMDP registry, an unrelated marrow donor attending college at Texas State University who would help change everything.

Before the transplant, Kwincy underwent a red blood cell exchange, chemotherapy, and platelet transfusions to prepare his body. The recovery required four weeks in the hospital, then daily visits for monitoring. For an entire year, they watched and waited to see if Kwincy's body would accept Bree's donated marrow. It did.

Life Reimagined

Today, nine years after his transplant, 25-year-old Kwincy is a graphic design student at Arizona State University, working part-time and living without any sickle cell symptoms.

"The biggest difference I've seen in Kwincy since receiving a bone marrow transplant is his height," Ericka says, noting how he finally caught up to his twin. "He's a happier young man. The look in his eyes from being in pain is what I don't miss at all."

For Kwinton, the change has been profound.

"Now on Saturdays, we'll go play basketball and he won't be hurting after," he says.

Community Power

Blood and platelet donations are vital in supporting patients with sickle cell disease undergoing gene therapies, bone marrow or stem cell transplants as well as those in need of regular blood transfusions to alleviate pain and help manage their disease.

Since 2021, more than 170,000 first-time African American blood donors have answered the call through the Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative. Blood donors who are Black are nearly three times more likely to be compatible matches for patients with sickle cell disease.

This February, as we celebrate 100 years of Black history, Black communities are hosting over 460 Red Cross blood drives nationwide in support of patients with sickle cell. The timing is critical as we’re currently facing a nationwide blood shortage and winter months bring increased pain crises and hospitalizations for these patients, often requiring emergency blood transfusions.

Among those leading this effort is Kwincy himself.

Making a Difference

As a spokesperson for the Kwamie Lassiter Foundation, founded by his late father, former NFL player Kwamie Lassiter, Kwincy joins his family in advocating for sickle cell awareness. The foundation supports sickle cell families in Arizona, hosting backpack drives, providing holiday meals, and raising awareness in a community where many still don't understand the disease.

Kwamie passed away in January 2019, but not before seeing Kwincy's healing, a blessing Ericka reflects on often. His father’s motto, “be the best,” continues to guide Kwincy as he works to support sickle cell families by sharing his story.

"[Donors] gave him hope," says Ericka. "[They] gave him strength. [They] gave him a reason to continue fighting."

Black Excellence is in Our Blood

Commemorate 100 years of Black history by rolling up a sleeve to give blood. Make an appointment on the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who come to give blood, platelets, or plasma Jan. 26–Feb. 28, 2026 will receive a $20 e-gift card. Terms and additional details can be found at RedCrossBlood.org/Heart.