SILENT

What does it mean to live? To REALLY LIVE? In today’s episode of Silent Podcast Christina and Ijeoma talk with Carla Lewis, CEO & founder of an organization called Kids Conquering Sickle Cell Disease Foundation based in Orlando, Florida. Carla was one of the 2022 grant recipients of the Ebony Lanier Sickle Cell Grant and at the end of 2023, Ijeoma and Christina had an opportunity to sit down with Carla to learn about her journey as sickle cell advocate, to hear about her son’s journey battling sickle cell, and to learn about how the grant from the Ruby Ball impacted their journey.

This conversation will make you laugh, bring you to tears, and leave your heart feeling warm.

We are still celebrating Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and in this BONUS episode of Silent Podcast, Ijeoma and Christina connect with Maya Bloomberg, a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She specializes in hematology and is passionate about the sickle cell patients she treats. The trio discusses advocacy, patient rights and care, and how racial disparities play a role in this life-altering disease. Not only is this episode super inspiring, it's a wealth of information for sickle cell patients and advocates alike. In our opinion, there is no better way to end sickle cell awareness month than with this episode of Silent Podcast. You can connect with Maya Bloomberg on Instagram at @thehemenp.  

When you let genuine love into your life, you are never alone. In Episode 9 of SILENT Podcast, Ijeoma and Christina connect with Dr. Kristyl Smith, organizational psychologist who shares how her sickle cell journey has been transformed by shifting her mindset, by getting in tune with her body, and most importantly, by having a tribe of loved ones surrounding her. The trio shares some awesome stories, some laughs, and some tears. You can find Dr. Kristyl at @drkayjai on Instagram. 

In this one year anniversary episode of Silent Podcast, released on June 19th - Word Sickle Cell Awareness Day, Christina and Ijeoma speak with Emerald and Tolu Adeyemi who share the importance of knowing your sickle cell status, and they also share how their journey of love has been solidified through raising a child with sickle cell. The conversation is full of laughs, love, and learning. It is not to be missed!

If your passion propels you even when all of the odds are stacked against you, that's when you know it's real. For Dr. Lynn Mendonḉa, her diagnosis of sickle cell did not stop her from living out her dream as a critical care physician - even when it meant risking her own life in a pandemic to treat the nation's most ill COVID-19 patients. In this BONUS episode of SILENT Podcast, Christina and Ijeoma explore the journey of COVID-19 one year since it began. With Dr. Lynn, they talk about some of the most critical impacts of COVID over the past year and even the glimmers of light that they have all seen despite the pandemic. 

Imagine having a twin sister who has the perfect antidote to cure your life-threatening disease. For twins Abi and Vivi, this is the story of that very journey! In this episode of SILENT Podcast, Ijeoma and Christina speak to Lady Laide, sickle cell advocate and mother to twins Abigail (Abi) and Valerie (Vivi).  Lady Laide shares the journey of her daughter Abi, who has recently received a stem cell transplant to cure her sickle cell disease. She shares her own courageous journey of faith and favor. Most importantly, she shares information for an upcoming blood and stem cell drive. 

They're baaaackkk! Christina and Ijeoma return to SILENT podcast welcoming in a new year and starting things off a little different. In Episode 5 of SILENT, Ijeoma and Christina connect with The Ruby Ball Foundation Board members and Advisors, Irene Okeke, Damilola Okuboyejo, and Ashley Smith. The ladies introduce themselves, reminisce on their personal highlights of the Ruby Ball Gala, and debate hot topics including the COVID-19 vaccination. The episode ends with an optimistic outlook of what is to come for The Ruby Ball Foundation in 2021 and beyond.