Charlotte mom won’t let illness interfere with the holidays for her and her son

Growing up in a small town in Michigan, Shaniora Buford just wanted to be like everyone else. She’d put on a brave face, but inside she was suffering.

Buford, now 26 and living in Charlotte, has Sickle Cell Disease. It’s a painful genetic blood disorder that can cause debilitating symptoms. The disease affects about 100,000 people across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and has a higher rate of occurrence among African Americans than other racial groups.

She manages her symptoms through prescription medications, monthly blood transfusions and additional medications administered through intravenous infusion.

Even though it was hard to ask for help, Buford decided to reach out to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte’s Angel Tree Fund for assistance with holiday gifts for her 3-year-old son, Emaan, who has autism

Emaan is among the thousands of Charlotte-area children who will receive gifts of clothes and toys under the Christmas tree again this year, thanks to contributors to the program. In cases where donors don’t step up, Charlotte Observer readers cover the expense by giving to the Empty Stocking Fund, which the Observer has sponsored since about 1920.

5 things to know about holiday toy drive and the Observer’s Empty Stocking Fund

Last season, Observer readers donated $164,526 to the campaign that helps provide gifts for kids, as well as senior citizens and people with disabilities.

Money raised by the 2022 Empty Stocking Fund campaign allowed The Salvation Army to buy 12,000 toys for this year’s campaign, along with gift cards for seniors, foster children and adults with disabilities, Salvation Army officials said.

The 2023 Angel Tree program will help about 4,000 families in Mecklenburg and Union counties, representing at least 5,500 children. And the program is providing gift cards to at least 1,500 seniors and 400 people with disabilities.

In 2022, the program served 2,607 families representing 6,662 children, officials said. The effort also served 1,715 seniors and provided 407 gift cards for foster children and individuals with disabilities, according to Salvation Army figures.

“The Angel Tree program this year will really help me be able to give Christmas to my son,” Buford said.

Working to find her joy

Despite the challenges posed by her disease, Buford pushed herself to reach her goals.

“Prior to the pandemic,” she said, “I always kind of had the mindset of I can be and accomplish anything just like anybody else.”

During high school, she completed her Associate of Applied Science degree in Culinary Arts, then moved to Charlotte to complete a Bachelor of Science in Food Service Management at Johnson and Wales University. After that, she worked in the hospitality industry, including at Something Classic and the Charlotte Marriott Center City hotel.

But the pandemic changed everything.

She became a mom in 2020 and needed to think both about maintaining her own health and the safety of her newborn son. Chronic blood shortages also meant long waits at the hospital, something impossible with an infant.

“It was pretty much either choose myself or choose him,” she said.

Due to her increased vulnerability to illness and a lack of childcare for her son, she did her best to manage her disease at home with telemedicine appointments and continuing her regimen of medications. Despite having insurance through her parents’ plan, Buford still pays as much as $1,000 per month for certain prescriptions.

The pandemic also limited Buford’s employment opportunities, so she put her culinary skills to work at home.

She started her own home baking business, with a focus on made-from-scratch desserts like cheesecake, cookies and pies. Right now, orders come from other small businesses and through word-of-mouth. Eventually, she’d like to create an online platform for it.

Even on days when her legs don’t work, Buford said she can still use her hands to create and make a living.

“Whether I can stand up some days or, maybe somedays, I really need to sit down or rest,” she said, “ I can still… do things that I enjoy.”

Christmas in Charlotte

Emaan is not verbal, so Buford hopes to create holiday traditions he can participate in and remember. That includes giving him interactive gifts that can help him develop his fine motor skills, like puzzles, mega building blocks and possibly a scooter.

Emaan also loves books. When Buford reads aloud to him, he likes to turn the pages and imitate the animal sounds in the stories.

Because of her transfusion dates, Buford said they are unable to travel to be with family this year. She and Emaan are trying to make the most of the holiday season by checking out local Christmas shows and light displays.

She also hopes to brighten the season with her cooking, with a special meal for the two of them or with a few close friends.

She can’t always eat everything she makes for others, but Buford said she’s well-practiced in how to adapt recipes. It’s a skill she’s honed throughout her life.

Her father, who served in the military in Saudi Arabia, converted to Islam and many in their community were practicing Muslims. Her hometown of Romulus, Michigan, is only about 20 minutes away from Dearborn, Michigan, which has the largest per capita Muslim population in the country.

Buford said she decided to share her story with the Observer because she’s been working on her confidence and overcoming her past feelings of shame in speaking about her situation.

Moving to Charlotte at age 19 forced her to develop a voice to advocate for herself and also served as a valuable lesson in opening up.

“Because we all have separate stories,” she said. “We all have, you know, triumphs or the climax of the story before we have downfalls. But that’s what makes everybody their own individual.”

How to donate to the Empty Stocking Fund

To donate online, visit Empty Stocking Fund CLT.org.

To donate by mail, send checks to: The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte, PO Box 31128, Charlotte NC 28231. Make checks payable to The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte and write “Empty Stocking Fund” in the memo line.

These are the latest donors to The Charlotte Observer’s Empty Stocking Fund