Sydnee is currently a fourth grader at Westside Elementary School and her favorite activities are basketball, football and gymnastics. She also loves to read, especially “The Boxcar Children” book series.

A seemingly normal life from the outside, Sydnee is a 9-year-old living with sickle cell anemia, a disease that causes her red blood cells to contort into a sickle shape, leaving her body with a shortage of healthy red blood cells.

Sydnee specifically suffers from hemoglobin SS disease, the most common and severe type of sickle cell disease. Hemoglobin SS disease occurs when a child inherits copies of the hemoglobin S gene mutation from both parents, and Sydnee has been living with it since she was three months old.

However, Sydnee is doing more than battling this disease — she is using her voice to spread awareness.

In September 2020, during National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Sydnee thought of a creative way to share her health journey and express gratitude.

“I decided to make videos and share what sickle cell had meant to me and to thank the nurses and doctors,” Sydnee said.

Sydnee’s mom, Dasaisha Murphy, recorded a video of Sydnee every day for 30 days. Her goal was to bring awareness to her mom’s Facebook friends about the sickle cell signs and symptoms, and provide a look into her everyday life.

In a matter of days, the videos had received over 100 likes and countless comments.

The Murphy family took spreading the awareness a step further by posting a photo online wearing red sickle cell ribbon pins.

“After I got out of work, I had a lot of co-workers wanting to buy our pins,” Dasaisha said.

The Murphys created a model of the sickle cell pin to sell for donations: a maroon ribbon representing the sickle cell awareness emblem. The ribbons sold for $1 to $2, and the family created a GoFundMe page for anyone who wanted to donate directly to the cause.

The family ended up selling 100 ribbons and raising more than $1,000.

Sydnee chose to donate all of the funds she raised to the Child Life Program at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. She asked for a wish list from Tramekiah Coleman-Spradley, coordinator for Volunteer Services, and spoke with Amy J. Wegner, director of the Child Life Program, to coordinate all of their donations, which included markers, games, tie-dye kits, coloring books and other various toys.

“I wanted to give back to all of the nurses and doctors for all that they have given me,” Sydnee said.

Sydnee is a firm believer that when you put your mind to something, you can achieve anything.