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. I am Rashwan McDonald, the host
of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to
stop reading other people's success stories and start planning their own.
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
(00:25):
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.
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
(00:47):
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
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
(01:08):
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 2 (01:16):
I'm Kurreed, Junior, States founder of kers Hope Foundation.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I'm here in Atlanta, Georgia with the one and only
Kier Junior Space.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
How you doing, Yeah, dude, I get up every morning. Dude?
Well good.
Speaker 1 (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 2 (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 to
(02:03):
keep calling who all said no? To find me? Who
was not famous, nobody loved, 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 ra Sean 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. Here's hope, here's hope.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Yes, sir, that was foundation that you messing in two
thousand one on the road with him in two thousand
and nine. What year did you start your foundation? 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 for the community, but
(03:30):
you have a bigger cause because you actually have sickle
sel disease.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yes. You know the thing about that man is 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. 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 about when
(04:18):
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 that got me to
(04:41):
thinking about and really find out who are out here
has six cels, right, because at my school.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I don't only want I know about the sick seal community.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yes, you know, and I when I said school, I
was the only one that I knew it had six cell.
But I wanted to find out who's all into this
community and who doing those positive 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
(05:12):
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 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
(05:34):
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 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
(05:55):
on the track. I'm gonna show you how fast people
with sickle cell really are.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
But the ignorant of circle seal, yes, sidetracked your sports career.
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So your foundation is about motivation, is inspiration.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
It's by motivation inspiration. It's about showing people that your
life can be just as amazing if you just dreaming.
Speaker 1 (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 2 (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?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah. So it's important when you talk about the secrets
to your success. If you have a vision and it's
not being shaped, and it's being shaped in a different direction,
then you should take control.
Speaker 2 (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?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I'm 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.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
And so 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 1 (09:32):
So when we talk about stereotypes, yeah, you were told
the seven you wouldn't live past eleven.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (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 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
I'm giving you, Like, what exactly is you said, it's
a podcast.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
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. 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
(10:25):
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, 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.
(10:47):
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 just hear across the world.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Okay, so your podcast is not a domestic take all les.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
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. 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
(11:24):
I limit to black people. I found out that that
that Asians have sickle cells. I found that stereotype.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Yeah, that's basically sickle cell in the United States. That's
a black black versons of African American American.
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
So let me ask you this question. So the words
you have sickle cell disease, right, So all sickle cell
disease the same.
Speaker 2 (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 1 (13:58):
So your whole thing, which you're findoundation, yeah, is about
motivation absolutely, ending medical ignorance.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Yes, and stigmas.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
That lead to stereotachs.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And I guess the bigger thing is that turning people
into who have sickle cell disease into dreamers.
Speaker 2 (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 1 (14:53):
Well, let's talk about your impact. You know, you're a
big mega horn the Steve R. Morning Show. You're born
and raised in Houston, Texas, Yes, sir, and the state
of Texas, Texas recognized your work, correct, Yes.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
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
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
(15:30):
saw it.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Then lived to races for the charity. Races are fundraising
races or a brand awareness a racist for sickle cells.
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Congratulations. Now because of that, you have a race. You
have annual races that you do. Yeah, tell us about
those races.
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
And what I do is I try to do race
in Dallas.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
I do a raising Dallas and then race. And I
felt like, I'm gonna do racing in Atlanta. 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
And 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
(17:04):
the person with sickle cell, but the entire family unit.
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,
(17:25):
I take care. I take the funds that we raise.
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.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Families Norfolk, Virginia, Northfolk, Virginia, and.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I'm gonna take two families or ten families and buy
We're gonna buy Christmas for them because in December, sickle
cell places to have a hard time with cold weather.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
So how these families is elected? These sickle cell families,
These are teens, a young kids who are impacted by
the sickle cell disease.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
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 up on Christmas and
it's no fun, right, And so you know. We we'll
(18:25):
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 I try to
(18:45):
show my concerns and let the families know that I'm
here for you too, and I'm busin. That's another way
we just motivate and we inspire.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
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 2 (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 we have
(19:30):
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. And
(19:53):
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 1 (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, Yes, sir,
five k races, Yes, sir, one in Dallas, one in Atlanta, Georgia, Yes, sir,
And then junior clause, yes sir. Well you toys are
(20:24):
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
keep you do something else?
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Sir?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Are you that busy?
Speaker 1 (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.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
What's the future you?
Speaker 1 (20:53):
And what advice would you give to somebody who wants
to start a foundation?
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Awesome. 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. You get two percent awards back on
purchases over two hundred and fifty dollars. Oh man, and
you're getting it one thousand dollars E gift card to
spend on whatever you need. All you have to do
(22:28):
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 the landing, and I know you've got the junior class.
Hopefully this will help you out, it.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Will help me out graduations. Thank you, man. I can't 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 1 (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.
Our social media handle is money Making Conversation. Join us
next week and remember to always leave with your gifts.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Keep winning.
Welcome to the show. I am Rashwan McDonald, the host
of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, where we encourage people to
stop reading other people's success stories and start planning their own.
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
(00:25):
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.
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
(00:47):
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
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
(01:08):
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 2 (01:16):
I'm Kurreed, Junior, States founder of kers Hope Foundation.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I'm here in Atlanta, Georgia with the one and only
Kier Junior Space.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
How you doing, Yeah, dude, I get up every morning. Dude?
Well good.
Speaker 1 (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 2 (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 to
(02:03):
keep calling who all said no? To find me? Who
was not famous, nobody loved, 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 ra Sean 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. Here's hope, here's hope.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Yes, sir, that was foundation that you messing in two
thousand one on the road with him in two thousand
and nine. What year did you start your foundation? 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 for the community, but
(03:30):
you have a bigger cause because you actually have sickle
sel disease.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yes. You know the thing about that man is 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. 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 about when
(04:18):
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 that got me to
(04:41):
thinking about and really find out who are out here
has six cels, right, because at my school.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
I don't only want I know about the sick seal community.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yes, you know, and I when I said school, I
was the only one that I knew it had six cell.
But I wanted to find out who's all into this
community and who doing those positive 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
(05:12):
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 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
(05:34):
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 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
(05:55):
on the track. I'm gonna show you how fast people
with sickle cell really are.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
But the ignorant of circle seal, yes, sidetracked your sports career.
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So your foundation is about motivation, is inspiration.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
It's by motivation inspiration. It's about showing people that your
life can be just as amazing if you just dreaming.
Speaker 1 (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 2 (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?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah. So it's important when you talk about the secrets
to your success. If you have a vision and it's
not being shaped, and it's being shaped in a different direction,
then you should take control.
Speaker 2 (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?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (08:47):
I'm 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.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
And so 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 1 (09:32):
So when we talk about stereotypes, yeah, you were told
the seven you wouldn't live past eleven.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (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 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
I'm giving you, Like, what exactly is you said, it's
a podcast.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
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. 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
(10:25):
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, 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.
(10:47):
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 just hear across the world.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Okay, so your podcast is not a domestic take all les.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
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. 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
(11:24):
I limit to black people. I found out that that
that Asians have sickle cells. I found that stereotype.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Yeah, that's basically sickle cell in the United States. That's
a black black versons of African American American.
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
So let me ask you this question. So the words
you have sickle cell disease, right, So all sickle cell
disease the same.
Speaker 2 (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 1 (13:58):
So your whole thing, which you're findoundation, yeah, is about
motivation absolutely, ending medical ignorance.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Yes, and stigmas.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
That lead to stereotachs.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
That's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
And I guess the bigger thing is that turning people
into who have sickle cell disease into dreamers.
Speaker 2 (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 1 (14:53):
Well, let's talk about your impact. You know, you're a
big mega horn the Steve R. Morning Show. You're born
and raised in Houston, Texas, Yes, sir, and the state
of Texas, Texas recognized your work, correct, Yes.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
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
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
(15:30):
saw it.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Then lived to races for the charity. Races are fundraising
races or a brand awareness a racist for sickle cells.
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Congratulations. Now because of that, you have a race. You
have annual races that you do. Yeah, tell us about
those races.
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
And what I do is I try to do race
in Dallas.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
I do a raising Dallas and then race. And I
felt like, I'm gonna do racing in Atlanta. 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
And 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
(17:04):
the person with sickle cell, but the entire family unit.
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,
(17:25):
I take care. I take the funds that we raise.
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.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Families Norfolk, Virginia, Northfolk, Virginia, and.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I'm gonna take two families or ten families and buy
We're gonna buy Christmas for them because in December, sickle
cell places to have a hard time with cold weather.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
So how these families is elected? These sickle cell families,
These are teens, a young kids who are impacted by
the sickle cell disease.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
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 up on Christmas and
it's no fun, right, And so you know. We we'll
(18:25):
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 I try to
(18:45):
show my concerns and let the families know that I'm
here for you too, and I'm busin. That's another way
we just motivate and we inspire.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
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 2 (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 we have
(19:30):
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. And
(19:53):
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 1 (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, Yes, sir,
five k races, Yes, sir, one in Dallas, one in Atlanta, Georgia, Yes, sir,
And then junior clause, yes sir. Well you toys are
(20:24):
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
keep you do something else?
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Sir?
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Are you that busy?
Speaker 1 (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.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
What's the future you?
Speaker 1 (20:53):
And what advice would you give to somebody who wants
to start a foundation?
Speaker 2 (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.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Awesome. 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. You get two percent awards back on
purchases over two hundred and fifty dollars. Oh man, and
you're getting it one thousand dollars E gift card to
spend on whatever you need. All you have to do
(22:28):
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 the landing, and I know you've got the junior class.
Hopefully this will help you out, it.
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Will help me out graduations. Thank you, man. I can't 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 1 (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.
Our social media handle is money Making Conversation. Join us
next week and remember to always leave with your gifts.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Keep winning.
The Steve Harvey Morning Show News
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Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles
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