September 11, 2024 • 23 mins
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Kier "Junior" Spates.
Co-Host of Steve Harvey Morning Show and founded Kier's Hope to provide underprivileged individuals who suffer from Sickle Cell Disease to ensure they receive the medical, physical, and emotional attention they deserve.
Suffering from sickle cell disease in silence is not uncommon in the African-American Community as there is a lack of knowledge of the disease. So, he created the Kier's Hope Foundation. The annual Kier's Hope 5K Fun Run and Walk and Junior Claus is an opportunity for families and those with sickle cell disease to gather and learn more about new treatments, spread awareness, and increase community engagement. Sickle Cell Disease is misunderstood as being contagious, an automatic death sentence, and that people with SCD can't do what "normal" people do! Kier is changing that narrative.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I am Rashwan McDonald, the host of Money Making Conversations Masterclass,
where we encourage people to stop reading other people's success
stories and.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Start planning their own.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Listen up as I interview entrepreneurs from around the country,
talk to celebrities and ask them how they are running
their companies, and speak with God prophets who are making
a difference in their local communities. Now, sit back and
listen as we unlock the secrets to their success on
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome to Money Making Conversation master Class.
(00:37):
I'm your host of the show, Rashaan McDonald. We're down
here in Atlanta to meet the one and only Ker
Junior Spates, one of the stars of the popular radio
show called Steve Harvey Morning Show. He's a plan down here,
a plan to change the lives of people who are
affected by sickle sale disease. He has the disease, but
he wants to let you know it can't stop you
(00:59):
from dreaming. He is a podcast, he is a foundation calls.
Here's hope. Now you'll be able to hear his story
and why he's changing the game and while the community
is being impacted by his personal efforts. Please don't go
to where we're about to meet the one and only
Here Junior Space.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I'm Kurreed, Junior, States founder of Kure's Hope Foundation.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I'm here in Atlanta, Georgia with the one and only
Kier Junior Space.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How you doing? Yeah, dude, I get up every morning.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Dude?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Well good.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
How do you feel to be a part of an
engine like that that has been It changes the community,
and you're also personally changing the community. Tells your backstory
about the Steve Hard Morning Show?
Speaker 1 (01:42):
You know I can. I met Steve in La back
in uh two thousand and one, and then I got
a phone call uh saying, Hey, you want to go
and roll with Steve in two thousand and nine. Then
went down to Miami open up for him. Got another
phone call, Hey you do any of this weekend Philly?
And I was trying to figure out how come they
(02:03):
keep calling? Who all said no to find me? Who
was not famous? Nobody loves just a comedian. A lot
of people had been the way before we get to meet. Well,
I'm so glad he did find me. And mister Harvey
is a is a very powerful influence or a lot
of young comedians, you know, including myself. So then you know,
I get a call twenty eleven, Hey man, I want
(02:26):
to talk to you about changing uh, not just your life,
but your not your career, but your life. And that
call came from Rashean McDonald's I'll never forget that day, man,
And it was just so much to learn, you know.
You know, I did not know a lot of the
things that I didn't know as a comedian because I
wasn't taught the right way, and all I was just
(02:48):
really working off of was pure talent, right, that's all
I had. You know, Now I learned the actual business
of comedy, the business of radio. And then you put
all those things together, and you have a disease in
mister Harvey. And I said a case it on my
show and not have a cause. And that's how I
started my foundation.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Here's hope, here's hope, Yes, sir, that was foundation that
you mess him in two thousand one, on the road
with him in two thousand and nine.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
What year did you start your foundation?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Two thousand and twelve, twenty twelve, thirteen, twenty thirteen, And
that was his cause, he said, sitting on the radio
show with a cause for the community, the community, but
you have a bigger cause because you actually have sickle
cell disease.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yes, you know. The thing about that man is uh
they they told me at seven that it was over.
My parents didn't know over what do you get me, like,
my life was over, It's down, gonna die. It's seven,
it's seven. They told me it's seven, that I only
have to live till eleven years old. And you know,
I think about the pressure that it puts on my
(03:56):
parents because they really thought my son, my first my
son won't make it past eleven years old, and he's
already seven. And I was only diagnosed as seven. So
I mean that's seven years of my parents not knowing
what is actually wrong with my child, right, and you
know it's crazy batically in and out of the hospital,
in and out of the hospital really really. Right after
(04:18):
about when I was diagnosed, I understood. And then because
I was so active as a child, I went back in,
back in, out, in and out the hospital. So you know,
probably in the year I probably have like like four
or five visits. That's extremely high. Wow, you know, for
for for a kid. You know, that's a lot of
medication you put inside of a kid. And so that
(04:40):
that got me to thinking about and really find out
who are out here has six sels, right, because at
my school, I don't only want I know about the
sick seal community, yes, you know, and I when I
said school, I was the only one that I knew
it had sixl cell. But I wanted to find out
who's all into this community and who doing tho positive
(05:01):
things in this community? You know, who are the people
who are all out here with six so just like me,
but don't believe that life is over because they got
diagnosed for something that they could kill them, right, you know.
And so I took that eleven years old real personal, right,
you know. I made that my number number eleven. I
(05:22):
was playing sports, don't play athletics. I played that letter.
I play football, played basketball, ran track, and they told
me that you want to live ass eleven. So I
took that personal that my life can be. It's just
as great as anyone else is with anything, just because
I have civil sell and you stereotype me as if
I had to go with eleven years old. I didn't
(05:44):
want to die left it. Nobody does, right, you know,
And so that was a hard thing for me to accept,
so I took it personal. I wanted to be the
best football player I could be. I want to be
the best basketball player I could be. I want to
show you on the track. I'm gonna show you how
fast people with sickle cell really are.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
But the ignorant of circle seal, yes, sidetracked your sports career.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
It did. A team doctor came that year and my
senior year. I have been in this program for at
least five years. I'm playing for this one school and
they have a new team doctor. And in another player
on the team said, hey, doc, he has sickle cell.
That's this. Take him off team right now. That's all
(06:25):
it was. No, no, no, let's go find out how
we can help him play football. None of that doctor says, no, no,
he has sickle cell. Take him off. Wow. And let
me tell you this is in my senior year. Scholarship
scholarships are on the line, and you snatched me that
that that, that whole moment made me understand that I
(06:47):
don't want this to happen to another person with sickle cell.
I don't want this to nobody have this feeling. And
I've made a promise to myself that I would never
let single cell rob me of another thing. And that's
why I said, I choose to live my life life
when it a way that I want other people supiciss say, Man,
I'm inspired right, look what he's doing. So your foundation
(07:08):
is about motivation, is inspiration. It's by motivation inspiration. It's
about showing people that your life can be just as
amazing if you just dreaming.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Cool now, twenty thirteen, that's when you started the foundation.
How does one start a foundation? Now that that that's
a great idea, But how does one start a foundation?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Well, I call some people who had foundations. It adds
to them mentorship, Yeah, mentorship, and you know they they
went down there and actually filled out all the paperwork
for me and they brought me back the approval that
I had a five O one C three And man,
I would write to work. I mean, because I had
no idea you understand, you know, starting something like that
(07:51):
and you've never done it because I'm just a comedian.
I don't know you know all the rules and laws.
You know, I'm not down there, I said, man, but
I won't it, you know, because I was working with
another foundation and they it just didn't really want to
do what I wanted to do. Didn't They didn't have
the vision, okay, And so I said, okay, why not
just go to start my own? Yeah. So it's important
(08:12):
when you talk about the secrets to your success. If
you have a vision.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And it's not being shaped, and it's being shaped in
a different direction, then you should take control.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
You gotta take control of it. Yeah, that's that's one
thing about is that what I had in vision for
for people with sickle cell was not theirs, right, And
so yeah, I took the I took it. I took
it on personally and say, okay, I tell you what
if you don't like the idea that I have, because
why are we still in the state that we're still in?
How come everybody feels the way they feel about civil cell?
(08:42):
They don't know anything about it. Everybody get to look
on their fath what else? What is I thought? They
here at that? No? No, because I'm still here right still.
Let me know when you hear about it that what
stow is it that I go? Get it?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Please don't go any We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass. Hosted by Rashaan McDonald And so.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
What I did that, man? And then I started seeing
the need for inspiration right right. I would go to
see with soul competence, and I start seeing people just say,
and I don't know what I'm gonna do, man, I
don't know if I'm gonna live past this. And I said,
who told you that?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
So when you talk about stereotypes, yeah, you were told
the seven you wouldn't live past eleven.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
So there are adult people or people in their twenties
have that same depth. Yeah, that that whole thing I'm
going to die mad talent, I'm gonna die, which means
that they don't foresee a future.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
No. Now, a lot of them feel like I'm just
going to be this. But then we went on this
journey on living your life the podcast Oh okay, and
I started finding out I'm giving you, Like, what exactly
is you said, it's a podcast, Okay, it's a podcast
I do. It's about you know, it's about the community
of Sickle Cell. It's about the lifestyle that we have.
(10:13):
It's about the doctors. It's about the people who have
foundations like myself. It's about the inspiration. It's about motivating.
It's about finding out really who you are in the
self community. And you'll find a lot of people who
are dealing with the same thing and have the same
like mindedness that I do about sickle cell, which is like, hey,
(10:34):
have you guys seen this? That'll take away the whole
war was me and all. Look what they's doing. I mean,
people have their own foundations. At seventeen, young people have
CBO you know CBOs at twenty. You know, they're all
they're all teaching somebody something. They're all working together. And
that's what I enjoyed when I find out not even
(10:55):
just hear across the world. Okay, so your podcast is
not a domestic take all les, no, because single cell
is not as domestic. You know, I don't think about
sickle cell as just an American issue or black issue.
It's a global issue. Wow, it's the first issue of mankind.
(11:15):
It's sickle cell. That's a blood disorder. You know, blood
cells are shaped like half sickles. That's the first issue
in mankind's history. So why would I limit to black people.
I found out that that that Asians have sickle cells.
I found that stereotype.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Yeah, that's basically sickle cell in the United States. That's
a black black versons of African American American.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
No, it's not. No, it's not South Africans who they
have single cell. It's global. I read the Middle East. Okay,
you know you got Europe that single cellers everywhere. So
why I'm gonna treat this like a like an American
issue when it's a globe is wire. So let me
(12:01):
ask you this question.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
So the words you have sickle cell disease, right, So
all sickle cell disease the same.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
No, no, no, no, educator is yeah, No, they're not
all the same. Everybody has a globe what they call
a hemoglobin, right, So my my type is s C. Okay,
that's my global type SC. Some other people may have
uh type s S. You know that some other people
have another type fatal falsima is. It's so many of them.
(12:32):
It doesn't matter your type. The one thing that we're
all affected by is pain. We're all affected by uh
issues with spleen. You know, we're all we're all affected
by It doesn't matter if we have sickle cell. You're
affected by the stereotypes of the mental health, right. You
know all these things that you've been fighting, uh deity right,
(12:54):
you know if if if you if you go to
the hospital at Another stereotype that we have is that
go to the hospital and we're in pain, call us
drug seekers. Wow, you know, and I'm I'm in there
to be treated just like anybody else. But no, they said, well,
he's only in here because he wants to open use.
He's a he's a drug seeker. And that will mess
(13:15):
withsi millle of a crisis and that that will help.
That will really mess with your mind growing up, because
why they just won't treat me, you know like they
treat everyone else. And then so you start seeing that
in a lot of people as well, like he won't
give me the drugs I need, I won't get the care.
So now we have to go advocate for this person.
(13:36):
Now we're gonna go talk on They be had to say, hey,
y'all are doing an injustice to this person. Now, you
you have people who have when they will not treat it,
sometimes they end up dying wow, because they don't have
the care. Because a doctor or a nurse said, I
don't believe you. You say you're pain at tend you know,
(13:56):
you can't look like pain.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
So your whole thing, which you're findudation, yeah, is about
motivation absolutely, ending medical ignorance. Yes, and stigmas that lead
to stereotachs.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
And I guess the bigger thing is that turning people
into who have sickle cell disease into dreamers.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yes, that's a big part of it, you know, and
and and and now now what you're doing. Now, what
you're doing now, Matt, what you just described is what
is what our logo says, working to change the shape
of sickle cell. So you know what I mean, the
thing what you just described is what we're working to do.
(14:38):
Now you start to see that. So like our logo said,
we're working to change the shape of sickle cell. The shape, Yeah,
we see that. That's the perception. See, all those things
take to change the perception of cycle cell. And that's
what we work towards. That's what we do.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Well, let's talk about your impact. You know, you're a
big mega horn the Steve R.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Morning Show. You're born and raised in Houston, Texas, Yes, sir,
and the state of Texas, Texas recognized your work, correct, Yes,
they did about five years ago. They gave me a
state proclamation, which I'm very proud of being from Texas,
and your state recognized that's a big deal. Many they
actually gave me an entire month called Here's Hope Sickle
(15:21):
sell Aware this month in the month of June, and
that will live on forever. And that's when I knew
I was making an impact that this now as he saw.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
It, then lived to races for the charity. Races are
fundraising races or a brand awareness a racist for sickle cells.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yeahret it's for Sickle Seal. It's a fundraiser. But the
point of it is to get the community to get
behind and see it. Come out here and find out
exactly what sickle Seal is. I mean it's a race, yes,
but you need to see that these people will come
and walk for them, they will run for them. I
don't care if you ride your bike for them. You
just need to understand that these are people too, and
(16:00):
they're part of our community. And so when the State
of Textas gave me that proclamation and my grandmother was
allowed to see it, Wow, that's where it lives and
is in her home. I don't even have it at
my house, it's at her home. The original is in
the state capital, but the replica is in her home
of the proclamations. Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Now because of that, you have a race. You have
annual races that you do. Yeah, tell us about those races.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Well, we do that in Dallas, and I'm gonna do
one here in Atlanta. What we do with those races
is the funds that we raise. The money I raise.
I go do junior clause in a different city every year.
And what I do is I try to do race
in Dallas. I do a raising Dallas and then race.
And I felt like, I'm gonna do racing in Atlanta.
(16:47):
And so I've done them. I've done them in Memphis.
I've done it to give away junior clause in Dallas.
I've done what exactly is junior clause Junior clause. It's
the fun thing I get to do for kids, for
kids and families, you know, because sickle cell effects not
just the person with sickle cell, but the entire family unit.
(17:08):
Because see when a person with sickle cell goes into
the hospital, then mom, dad got take off, brothers, sister
have to come down there. We're losing income in the home.
It affects a lot of things. So what I do
is I take care of the entire family. Is Christmas, right,
I take care. I take the funds that we raise.
(17:28):
I'll go to a city like this year is gonna
be Norfolk. I got a few abs up there. I'm
gonna go, Okay, help me do this, and I'm gonna
take ten families Norfolk, Virginia, Northfolk, Virginia, and I'm gonna
take two families or ten families and buy We're gonna
buy Christmas for them because in December, sickle cell places
(17:50):
to have a hard time with cold weather. So how
these families is elected?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
These sickle cell families, These are teens, a young kids
who are impacted by.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
The sickle cell disease. Right. And and what I do
is I work when an organization down there who's already
in the community. He knows these families, and we will
screen them, We'll talk to them, We'll find out what
they really what their needs are, what they really want.
You know, I try. I try to give them Christmas
because at any moment they could go end up in
the hospital. And I've been in the hospital and woke
(18:21):
up on Christmas and it's no fun, right, And so
you know, we we'll go there, we'll have lunch. We'll
we'll have a lunch or brunch of there, or we'll
have Santa Claus there. He'll be there and I bring
Santa with me. He comes and pass out the toys
and you get to see sand out the working for
the kids, stand out here working for civil self. You
know he care. So we do all of those things, man,
And it's just a way that I give back and
(18:44):
I try to show my concerns and let the families
know that I'm here for you too, and I'm Business's
another way.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
We just motivate and we inspire. Now, the very popular
Libty and Life podcast, like you told us earlier, is worldwide.
It's not a domestic show. You can see them see
the episodes on YouTube. I went online that I saw
likes twelve thousand likes on some of your posts. But
you're not doing that show by yourself. Who is your
co host?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Oh? My co host is doctor Corey Abert and chief
medical officer at Dillard University. He is really into He's
been working in this area for a very long time,
so he understands patients from a doctor, from a patient's
perspective of sickle cell because he stunts it. He understands
that we have to make some changes and when we
(19:29):
have to get registered and get tested to find out
if you have the sickle cell trade, which can lead
to people like me and I know a lot of
people who may not know that they have the trade
and then understand that one day you could possibly have
of me. And I'm talking about at seven years old.
Somebody's probably gonna tell them their life will be already eleven.
(19:53):
And what I'm trying to do is let you know
is that that's not It happens to be your truth.
Your truth can be whatever you want to be right,
and that's what we work on. Living your Life at
doctor Corey Abert Cool.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
So just trying to track of your business schedules. Have
Steve Harror on this show? Yes, uh, Living your Life? Yes,
a motivational podcasts YouTube show. Yes, Okay, Foundation, here's so foundation.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Five k races, Yes, sir, one in Dallas, one in Atlanta, Georgia, Yes, sir,
And then junior clause, yes sir. Well you toys are
donated to your foundation and you distribute these toys to
kids impact and families impacted by the sickle cell disease. Yes, sir,
that's your schedule. That's how you're changing the community. Or
(20:36):
keep you do something else?
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Sir?
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Are you that busy?
Speaker 2 (20:39):
I know, I'm so happy to hear that that you
sit around just being a success, that you have motivated
to change people's lives. What's the future you And what
advice would you give to somebody who wants to start
a foundation?
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Uh? My, My advice if you want to start a
foundation is go do it. See the longer you think
about it, the time is slipping. And when the time
is slipping, we can't get our goals. And so if
you actually thinking about doing this, I would suggest you
really go ahead and do it, because first of all,
you need two things. You need some empathy and you
need some motivation those two things. If you can understand
(21:22):
a person's plight and it drives you to say I
want to change something for that person, it don't take
it don't have to be ten thousand, But if you
do it ten thousand times, once it's ten thousand, doesn't
have to be in masses. I did this for a
number of years and accumulated the people that we have.
(21:42):
That's what I did awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
If you have a minute, I want to share something
with you. Walmart Business Plus as a surprise for you
for me, yes, sir, and your foundation, really yes. Before
we wrap up the conversation, Walmart Business has a little
surprise for you, junior and your foundation years old. Because
of the work you're doing in the community. They're setting
you up with a six month Walmart Business Plus membership.
(22:07):
So that's free shipping and limited time offers on products
for business owners and foundations like yours, with two percent
rewards on purchases.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
You get two percent awards back on purchases over two
hundred and fifty dollars.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Oh man, and you're getting it one thousand dollars E
gift card to spend on whatever you need. All you
have to do is go to business dot Walmart dot
com with that one thousand dollars E gift card. I
know you got the race coming up, man, Gallas, the
race coming up in Landing, and I know you've got
the junior class.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Hopefully this will help you out, it will help me
out graduations. Thank you, man. I can't your life. Oh man,
you know what I mean. Let me tell you what
I'm doing right now. I'm gonna go to Little More
right now.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests on
the show today and thank you for listening to audience now.
If you want to listen to any episode I want
to be a guest on the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Our social media handle is money Making Conversation.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Join us next week and remember to always leave with
your gifts.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Keep winning.
Welcome to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I am Rashwan McDonald, the host of Money Making Conversations Masterclass,
where we encourage people to stop reading other people's success
stories and.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Start planning their own.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Listen up as I interview entrepreneurs from around the country,
talk to celebrities and ask them how they are running
their companies, and speak with God prophets who are making
a difference in their local communities. Now, sit back and
listen as we unlock the secrets to their success on
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome to Money Making Conversation master Class.
(00:37):
I'm your host of the show, Rashaan McDonald. We're down
here in Atlanta to meet the one and only Ker
Junior Spates, one of the stars of the popular radio
show called Steve Harvey Morning Show. He's a plan down here,
a plan to change the lives of people who are
affected by sickle sale disease. He has the disease, but
he wants to let you know it can't stop you
(00:59):
from dreaming. He is a podcast, he is a foundation calls.
Here's hope. Now you'll be able to hear his story
and why he's changing the game and while the community
is being impacted by his personal efforts. Please don't go
to where we're about to meet the one and only
Here Junior Space.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I'm Kurreed, Junior, States founder of Kure's Hope Foundation.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I'm here in Atlanta, Georgia with the one and only
Kier Junior Space.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How you doing? Yeah, dude, I get up every morning.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Dude?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Well good.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
How do you feel to be a part of an
engine like that that has been It changes the community,
and you're also personally changing the community. Tells your backstory
about the Steve Hard Morning Show?
Speaker 1 (01:42):
You know I can. I met Steve in La back
in uh two thousand and one, and then I got
a phone call uh saying, Hey, you want to go
and roll with Steve in two thousand and nine. Then
went down to Miami open up for him. Got another
phone call, Hey you do any of this weekend Philly?
And I was trying to figure out how come they
(02:03):
keep calling? Who all said no to find me? Who
was not famous? Nobody loves just a comedian. A lot
of people had been the way before we get to meet. Well,
I'm so glad he did find me. And mister Harvey
is a is a very powerful influence or a lot
of young comedians, you know, including myself. So then you know,
I get a call twenty eleven, Hey man, I want
(02:26):
to talk to you about changing uh, not just your life,
but your not your career, but your life. And that
call came from Rashean McDonald's I'll never forget that day, man,
And it was just so much to learn, you know.
You know, I did not know a lot of the
things that I didn't know as a comedian because I
wasn't taught the right way, and all I was just
(02:48):
really working off of was pure talent, right, that's all
I had. You know, Now I learned the actual business
of comedy, the business of radio. And then you put
all those things together, and you have a disease in
mister Harvey. And I said a case it on my
show and not have a cause. And that's how I
started my foundation.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Here's hope, here's hope, Yes, sir, that was foundation that
you mess him in two thousand one, on the road
with him in two thousand and nine.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
What year did you start your foundation?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Two thousand and twelve, twenty twelve, thirteen, twenty thirteen, And
that was his cause, he said, sitting on the radio
show with a cause for the community, the community, but
you have a bigger cause because you actually have sickle
cell disease.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yes, you know. The thing about that man is uh
they they told me at seven that it was over.
My parents didn't know over what do you get me, like,
my life was over, It's down, gonna die. It's seven,
it's seven. They told me it's seven, that I only
have to live till eleven years old. And you know,
I think about the pressure that it puts on my
(03:56):
parents because they really thought my son, my first my
son won't make it past eleven years old, and he's
already seven. And I was only diagnosed as seven. So
I mean that's seven years of my parents not knowing
what is actually wrong with my child, right, and you
know it's crazy batically in and out of the hospital,
in and out of the hospital really really. Right after
(04:18):
about when I was diagnosed, I understood. And then because
I was so active as a child, I went back in,
back in, out, in and out the hospital. So you know,
probably in the year I probably have like like four
or five visits. That's extremely high. Wow, you know, for
for for a kid. You know, that's a lot of
medication you put inside of a kid. And so that
(04:40):
that got me to thinking about and really find out
who are out here has six sels, right, because at
my school, I don't only want I know about the
sick seal community, yes, you know, and I when I
said school, I was the only one that I knew
it had sixl cell. But I wanted to find out
who's all into this community and who doing tho positive
(05:01):
things in this community? You know, who are the people
who are all out here with six so just like me,
but don't believe that life is over because they got
diagnosed for something that they could kill them, right, you know.
And so I took that eleven years old real personal, right,
you know. I made that my number number eleven. I
(05:22):
was playing sports, don't play athletics. I played that letter.
I play football, played basketball, ran track, and they told
me that you want to live ass eleven. So I
took that personal that my life can be. It's just
as great as anyone else is with anything, just because
I have civil sell and you stereotype me as if
I had to go with eleven years old. I didn't
(05:44):
want to die left it. Nobody does, right, you know,
And so that was a hard thing for me to accept,
so I took it personal. I wanted to be the
best football player I could be. I want to be
the best basketball player I could be. I want to
show you on the track. I'm gonna show you how
fast people with sickle cell really are.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
But the ignorant of circle seal, yes, sidetracked your sports career.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
It did. A team doctor came that year and my
senior year. I have been in this program for at
least five years. I'm playing for this one school and
they have a new team doctor. And in another player
on the team said, hey, doc, he has sickle cell.
That's this. Take him off team right now. That's all
(06:25):
it was. No, no, no, let's go find out how
we can help him play football. None of that doctor says, no, no,
he has sickle cell. Take him off. Wow. And let
me tell you this is in my senior year. Scholarship
scholarships are on the line, and you snatched me that
that that, that whole moment made me understand that I
(06:47):
don't want this to happen to another person with sickle cell.
I don't want this to nobody have this feeling. And
I've made a promise to myself that I would never
let single cell rob me of another thing. And that's
why I said, I choose to live my life life
when it a way that I want other people supiciss say, Man,
I'm inspired right, look what he's doing. So your foundation
(07:08):
is about motivation, is inspiration. It's by motivation inspiration. It's
about showing people that your life can be just as
amazing if you just dreaming.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Cool now, twenty thirteen, that's when you started the foundation.
How does one start a foundation? Now that that that's
a great idea, But how does one start a foundation?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Well, I call some people who had foundations. It adds
to them mentorship, Yeah, mentorship, and you know they they
went down there and actually filled out all the paperwork
for me and they brought me back the approval that
I had a five O one C three And man,
I would write to work. I mean, because I had
no idea you understand, you know, starting something like that
(07:51):
and you've never done it because I'm just a comedian.
I don't know you know all the rules and laws.
You know, I'm not down there, I said, man, but
I won't it, you know, because I was working with
another foundation and they it just didn't really want to
do what I wanted to do. Didn't They didn't have
the vision, okay, And so I said, okay, why not
just go to start my own? Yeah. So it's important
(08:12):
when you talk about the secrets to your success. If
you have a vision.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And it's not being shaped, and it's being shaped in
a different direction, then you should take control.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
You gotta take control of it. Yeah, that's that's one
thing about is that what I had in vision for
for people with sickle cell was not theirs, right, And
so yeah, I took the I took it. I took
it on personally and say, okay, I tell you what
if you don't like the idea that I have, because
why are we still in the state that we're still in?
How come everybody feels the way they feel about civil cell?
(08:42):
They don't know anything about it. Everybody get to look
on their fath what else? What is I thought? They
here at that? No? No, because I'm still here right still.
Let me know when you hear about it that what
stow is it that I go? Get it?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Please don't go any We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations Masterclass. Welcome back to the Money Making
Conversations Masterclass. Hosted by Rashaan McDonald And so.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
What I did that, man? And then I started seeing
the need for inspiration right right. I would go to
see with soul competence, and I start seeing people just say,
and I don't know what I'm gonna do, man, I
don't know if I'm gonna live past this. And I said,
who told you that?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
So when you talk about stereotypes, yeah, you were told
the seven you wouldn't live past eleven.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
So there are adult people or people in their twenties
have that same depth. Yeah, that that whole thing I'm
going to die mad talent, I'm gonna die, which means
that they don't foresee a future.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
No. Now, a lot of them feel like I'm just
going to be this. But then we went on this
journey on living your life the podcast Oh okay, and
I started finding out I'm giving you, Like, what exactly
is you said, it's a podcast, Okay, it's a podcast
I do. It's about you know, it's about the community
of Sickle Cell. It's about the lifestyle that we have.
(10:13):
It's about the doctors. It's about the people who have
foundations like myself. It's about the inspiration. It's about motivating.
It's about finding out really who you are in the
self community. And you'll find a lot of people who
are dealing with the same thing and have the same
like mindedness that I do about sickle cell, which is like, hey,
(10:34):
have you guys seen this? That'll take away the whole
war was me and all. Look what they's doing. I mean,
people have their own foundations. At seventeen, young people have
CBO you know CBOs at twenty. You know, they're all
they're all teaching somebody something. They're all working together. And
that's what I enjoyed when I find out not even
(10:55):
just hear across the world. Okay, so your podcast is
not a domestic take all les, no, because single cell
is not as domestic. You know, I don't think about
sickle cell as just an American issue or black issue.
It's a global issue. Wow, it's the first issue of mankind.
(11:15):
It's sickle cell. That's a blood disorder. You know, blood
cells are shaped like half sickles. That's the first issue
in mankind's history. So why would I limit to black people.
I found out that that that Asians have sickle cells.
I found that stereotype.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Yeah, that's basically sickle cell in the United States. That's
a black black versons of African American American.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
No, it's not. No, it's not South Africans who they
have single cell. It's global. I read the Middle East. Okay,
you know you got Europe that single cellers everywhere. So
why I'm gonna treat this like a like an American
issue when it's a globe is wire. So let me
(12:01):
ask you this question.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
So the words you have sickle cell disease, right, So
all sickle cell disease the same.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
No, no, no, no, educator is yeah, No, they're not
all the same. Everybody has a globe what they call
a hemoglobin, right, So my my type is s C. Okay,
that's my global type SC. Some other people may have
uh type s S. You know that some other people
have another type fatal falsima is. It's so many of them.
(12:32):
It doesn't matter your type. The one thing that we're
all affected by is pain. We're all affected by uh
issues with spleen. You know, we're all we're all affected
by It doesn't matter if we have sickle cell. You're
affected by the stereotypes of the mental health, right. You
know all these things that you've been fighting, uh deity right,
(12:54):
you know if if if you if you go to
the hospital at Another stereotype that we have is that
go to the hospital and we're in pain, call us
drug seekers. Wow, you know, and I'm I'm in there
to be treated just like anybody else. But no, they said, well,
he's only in here because he wants to open use.
He's a he's a drug seeker. And that will mess
(13:15):
withsi millle of a crisis and that that will help.
That will really mess with your mind growing up, because
why they just won't treat me, you know like they
treat everyone else. And then so you start seeing that
in a lot of people as well, like he won't
give me the drugs I need, I won't get the care.
So now we have to go advocate for this person.
(13:36):
Now we're gonna go talk on They be had to say, hey,
y'all are doing an injustice to this person. Now, you
you have people who have when they will not treat it,
sometimes they end up dying wow, because they don't have
the care. Because a doctor or a nurse said, I
don't believe you. You say you're pain at tend you know,
(13:56):
you can't look like pain.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
So your whole thing, which you're findudation, yeah, is about
motivation absolutely, ending medical ignorance. Yes, and stigmas that lead
to stereotachs.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
And I guess the bigger thing is that turning people
into who have sickle cell disease into dreamers.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Yes, that's a big part of it, you know, and
and and and now now what you're doing. Now, what
you're doing now, Matt, what you just described is what
is what our logo says, working to change the shape
of sickle cell. So you know what I mean, the
thing what you just described is what we're working to do.
(14:38):
Now you start to see that. So like our logo said,
we're working to change the shape of sickle cell. The shape, Yeah,
we see that. That's the perception. See, all those things
take to change the perception of cycle cell. And that's
what we work towards. That's what we do.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Well, let's talk about your impact. You know, you're a
big mega horn the Steve R.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Morning Show. You're born and raised in Houston, Texas, Yes, sir,
and the state of Texas, Texas recognized your work, correct, Yes,
they did about five years ago. They gave me a
state proclamation, which I'm very proud of being from Texas,
and your state recognized that's a big deal. Many they
actually gave me an entire month called Here's Hope Sickle
(15:21):
sell Aware this month in the month of June, and
that will live on forever. And that's when I knew
I was making an impact that this now as he saw.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
It, then lived to races for the charity. Races are
fundraising races or a brand awareness a racist for sickle cells.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yeahret it's for Sickle Seal. It's a fundraiser. But the
point of it is to get the community to get
behind and see it. Come out here and find out
exactly what sickle Seal is. I mean it's a race, yes,
but you need to see that these people will come
and walk for them, they will run for them. I
don't care if you ride your bike for them. You
just need to understand that these are people too, and
(16:00):
they're part of our community. And so when the State
of Textas gave me that proclamation and my grandmother was
allowed to see it, Wow, that's where it lives and
is in her home. I don't even have it at
my house, it's at her home. The original is in
the state capital, but the replica is in her home
of the proclamations. Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Now because of that, you have a race. You have
annual races that you do. Yeah, tell us about those races.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Well, we do that in Dallas, and I'm gonna do
one here in Atlanta. What we do with those races
is the funds that we raise. The money I raise.
I go do junior clause in a different city every year.
And what I do is I try to do race
in Dallas. I do a raising Dallas and then race.
And I felt like, I'm gonna do racing in Atlanta.
(16:47):
And so I've done them. I've done them in Memphis.
I've done it to give away junior clause in Dallas.
I've done what exactly is junior clause Junior clause. It's
the fun thing I get to do for kids, for
kids and families, you know, because sickle cell effects not
just the person with sickle cell, but the entire family unit.
(17:08):
Because see when a person with sickle cell goes into
the hospital, then mom, dad got take off, brothers, sister
have to come down there. We're losing income in the home.
It affects a lot of things. So what I do
is I take care of the entire family. Is Christmas, right,
I take care. I take the funds that we raise.
(17:28):
I'll go to a city like this year is gonna
be Norfolk. I got a few abs up there. I'm
gonna go, Okay, help me do this, and I'm gonna
take ten families Norfolk, Virginia, Northfolk, Virginia, and I'm gonna
take two families or ten families and buy We're gonna
buy Christmas for them because in December, sickle cell places
(17:50):
to have a hard time with cold weather. So how
these families is elected?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
These sickle cell families, These are teens, a young kids
who are impacted by.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
The sickle cell disease. Right. And and what I do
is I work when an organization down there who's already
in the community. He knows these families, and we will
screen them, We'll talk to them, We'll find out what
they really what their needs are, what they really want.
You know, I try. I try to give them Christmas
because at any moment they could go end up in
the hospital. And I've been in the hospital and woke
(18:21):
up on Christmas and it's no fun, right, And so
you know, we we'll go there, we'll have lunch. We'll
we'll have a lunch or brunch of there, or we'll
have Santa Claus there. He'll be there and I bring
Santa with me. He comes and pass out the toys
and you get to see sand out the working for
the kids, stand out here working for civil self. You
know he care. So we do all of those things, man,
And it's just a way that I give back and
(18:44):
I try to show my concerns and let the families
know that I'm here for you too, and I'm Business's
another way.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
We just motivate and we inspire. Now, the very popular
Libty and Life podcast, like you told us earlier, is worldwide.
It's not a domestic show. You can see them see
the episodes on YouTube. I went online that I saw
likes twelve thousand likes on some of your posts. But
you're not doing that show by yourself. Who is your
co host?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Oh? My co host is doctor Corey Abert and chief
medical officer at Dillard University. He is really into He's
been working in this area for a very long time,
so he understands patients from a doctor, from a patient's
perspective of sickle cell because he stunts it. He understands
that we have to make some changes and when we
(19:29):
have to get registered and get tested to find out
if you have the sickle cell trade, which can lead
to people like me and I know a lot of
people who may not know that they have the trade
and then understand that one day you could possibly have
of me. And I'm talking about at seven years old.
Somebody's probably gonna tell them their life will be already eleven.
(19:53):
And what I'm trying to do is let you know
is that that's not It happens to be your truth.
Your truth can be whatever you want to be right,
and that's what we work on. Living your Life at
doctor Corey Abert Cool.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
So just trying to track of your business schedules. Have
Steve Harror on this show? Yes, uh, Living your Life? Yes,
a motivational podcasts YouTube show. Yes, Okay, Foundation, here's so foundation.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Five k races, Yes, sir, one in Dallas, one in Atlanta, Georgia, Yes, sir,
And then junior clause, yes sir. Well you toys are
donated to your foundation and you distribute these toys to
kids impact and families impacted by the sickle cell disease. Yes, sir,
that's your schedule. That's how you're changing the community. Or
(20:36):
keep you do something else?
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Sir?
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Are you that busy?
Speaker 2 (20:39):
I know, I'm so happy to hear that that you
sit around just being a success, that you have motivated
to change people's lives. What's the future you And what
advice would you give to somebody who wants to start
a foundation?
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Uh? My, My advice if you want to start a
foundation is go do it. See the longer you think
about it, the time is slipping. And when the time
is slipping, we can't get our goals. And so if
you actually thinking about doing this, I would suggest you
really go ahead and do it, because first of all,
you need two things. You need some empathy and you
need some motivation those two things. If you can understand
(21:22):
a person's plight and it drives you to say I
want to change something for that person, it don't take
it don't have to be ten thousand, But if you
do it ten thousand times, once it's ten thousand, doesn't
have to be in masses. I did this for a
number of years and accumulated the people that we have.
(21:42):
That's what I did awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
If you have a minute, I want to share something
with you. Walmart Business Plus as a surprise for you
for me, yes, sir, and your foundation, really yes. Before
we wrap up the conversation, Walmart Business has a little
surprise for you, junior and your foundation years old. Because
of the work you're doing in the community. They're setting
you up with a six month Walmart Business Plus membership.
(22:07):
So that's free shipping and limited time offers on products
for business owners and foundations like yours, with two percent
rewards on purchases.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
You get two percent awards back on purchases over two
hundred and fifty dollars.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Oh man, and you're getting it one thousand dollars E
gift card to spend on whatever you need. All you
have to do is go to business dot Walmart dot
com with that one thousand dollars E gift card. I
know you got the race coming up, man, Gallas, the
race coming up in Landing, and I know you've got
the junior class.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Hopefully this will help you out, it will help me
out graduations. Thank you, man. I can't your life. Oh man,
you know what I mean. Let me tell you what
I'm doing right now. I'm gonna go to Little More
right now.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversation Masterclass
by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you to our guests on
the show today and thank you for listening to audience now.
If you want to listen to any episode I want
to be a guest on the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Our social media handle is money Making Conversation.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Join us next week and remember to always leave with
your gifts.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Keep winning.
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