Brockton 9-year-old's brother's a sickle cell warrior and she's fighting right beside him
BROCKTON — A Brockton third grader uses her creative talents to bring awareness to a disease that has touched her own family through her new business venture, Better Beads by Lilly.
Lilly Campbell and her mother, Mimi Campbell, created the handcrafted jewelry business to design one-of-a-kind bracelets with two red beads to symbolize sickle cell disease.
Lilly's brother Isaiah Campbell,15, is battling the disease, which has been challenging for the family, she said.
Lilly's Better Beads website says her big brother Isaiah is a "Sickle Cell warrior" and has always been "her biggest love!"
"Now, at 9, Lilly came up with a plan to help others like her brother," her website says.
Making the bracelets gives Lilly a sense of hope to not only raise awareness but by helping others by donating the proceeds to programs that help kids cope with the disease.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. It impacts the shape of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all body parts, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Healthy red blood cells are round and move easily through the blood vessels, while in someone with SCD, their hemoglobin is abnormal, causing the red blood cells to look C-shaped, the CDC said. As a result, they get stuck and clog blood flow as they travel through the blood vessels. This can cause severe pain and serious complications.
Lilly places two red beads on each bracelet, no matter the design, to signify SCD. Red because it's the color of sickle cell awareness and two so the beads will stand out in any design, Mimi said.
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The goal is for people to strike up a conversation about the red beads and what it means to the owner.
"A lot of people don't know what sickle cell is, and we want to educate people on the topic," Mimi said.
The 9-year-old entrepreneur is happy to give back to a cause that's close to her heart.
"Sometimes I feel really bad because I can't do anything to help, and I don't know how it feels to have sickle cell," Lilly said.
There are some days when Isaiah is in excruciating pain, and it's difficult for the family to watch him go through the motions.
"It's hard having to put a strong face on to get him through his crisis. It is quite the struggle to maintain balance and be present for the other kids who are not sick and who also need my help," Mimi said.
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The business allows the family to focus on something positive for a few hours to take their mind off things.
Mimi works a full-time job and also helps her daughter with marketing, setting up pop-ups, advertising, selling the items, shipping them out, and running the website.
Lilly's primary job is to check the orders and create the bracelets.
On average, Lilly makes about five weekly orders, but it can be more depending on the monthly sales.
Every sale fluctuates, and the family donates the proceeds to charity.
On the website, you can find over a dozen handmade styles, with an option to create your own.
To order a bracelet, visit betterbeads-bylilly.mystrikingly.com.
Enterprise staff reporter Alisha Saint-Ciel can be reached by email at stciela@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton 9 year old makes Better Beads bracelets to fight sickle cell
