# @americanredcross on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DUrILgtiZ-T
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/72587808-americanredcross-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/0ad2c63474.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-02-12T22:01:28.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Red Cross (@americanredcross) — https://gondola.cc/americanredcross

## Caption

Kwincy and Kwinton Lassiter came into the world together — twins with the same birthday but two very different journeys. Kwincy was born with sickle cell disease. Kwinton was not.

“When they said baby B may have sickle cell disease, I just was in tears,” said their mother, Ericka. “At the time, the life expectancy for young men with sickle cell was only 25 to 26 years old. I was just scared.”

For 16 years, pain crises, acute chest syndrome, pneumonia, and silent strokes shaped Kwincy’s childhood. More than 70 blood transfusions kept him alive.

“Growing up with sickle cell, I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital,” he said. “I couldn't do as much as my brothers, and during the school year, I missed a lot of school.”

In their household, transfusions were called “juice.”

“We would be like, ‘Let's go get your juice,’” Ericka said. “When Kwincy received a blood transfusion, it was like a whole different child. He was back to not just lying there crying and in pain.”

Kwincy remembers the relief: “Receiving the blood transfusions helped with the pain. You feel fresh and stronger. It's really just lifesaving.”

After two terrifying episodes of acute chest syndrome, the family made the difficult decision to pursue a bone marrow transplant. No family members matched, and their first donor backed out — until Bree, a college student they’d never met, stepped forward two years later.

Kwincy underwent chemotherapy, a red blood cell exchange, platelet transfusions, and a grueling recovery. Then they waited to see if his body would accept the transplant.

It did.

Nine years later, 25‑year‑old Kwincy is a graphic design student, working part‑time, and living without sickle cell symptoms. 

“He's a happier young man,” Ericka says. “The look in his eyes from being in pain is what I don't miss at all.”

Today, Kwincy is giving back as a spokesperson for the Kwamie Lassiter Foundation, honoring his father’s motto: “be the best.” And Ericka carries a message she hopes every donor hears: “Donors gave him hope. They gave him strength. They gave him a reason to continue fighting.” #TeamUp4SickleCell

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 220
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 15

## Tags

teamup4sicklecell

---
Copyright (c) Gondola