Our Story

When I met Adam I instantly knew there was something very different and special about him. Adam was kind, fun, loving and a Man of his word. His humor and vivacious spirit were evident to all those who had an encounter with him. Adam had the sweetest smile that just made you want to know more about who he was.

Adam was the last of six children born to Donald and Shirley Smith. Adam was born with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition present at birth in which the red blood cells in your body are shaped like a sickle (like a letter C). Red blood cells carry oxygen to the rest of your body. A person without sickle cell anemia has red blood cells which are round and flexible. The round blood cells can easily flow through the circulatory system whereas the sickle shaped cells are hard and sticky. These sickle shaped cells clump together get stuck in small blood vessels ultimately blocking blood flow. This blockage can cause major pain and can damage major organs. Having fewer healthy round red blood cells is what causes anemia. The disease is inherited when a child receives two sickle cell genes one from each parent. As a child with sickle cell anemia Adam learned early on that there were things that he was unable to do physically. The disease did not stop him from dreaming and setting goals. Unlike many others born with (SCD) Adam did not have major health issues until his young adulthood.

Adam’s parents instilled the importance of education and ensured he had access to cultural and educational enrichment through travel and living life. Adams motto was “work hard play hard.”