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FLINT, Michigan (WJRT) — A 7-year-old Flint boy is using a lemonade stand to raise money and awareness for sickle cell disease.
ABC12 met Jah’Marius Goff at his stand on Clio Road, where he’s selling chips, water, Fanta and pink lemonade. Goff and his older brother both live with the painful blood disorder.
“Like yesterday, my stomach was hurting and when I went to church I was–my stomach was hurting and I flew through the pain,” Goff said. “I flew through the pain and I acted like I ain’t feel nothing.”
A play on words as Goff’s mom, Lajoi wrote a children’s book about raising confident kids with chronic illness. It’s called: Unbreakable Kids. The book has not yet been published.
The lemonade stand comes just as the State of Michigan removed restrictions requiring permits, making it easier for kids to open stands of their own.
Lajoi said meeting customers has shown her how many people in Flint are actually living with the disease. “I never knew so many people in Flint had sickle cell.”
She told ABC12 that people who stop by for lemonade or snacks or just to donate, they also get educated on the sickle cell disease.
“It could be a lot, especially on single moms,” Lajoi said. “It could be a lot because they’re always sick. You never know when they’re not going to be sick.”
She said she tries to turn her sons’ worst nightmare into something they love.
“Basically we turned their pain into something that could probably help others,” Lajoi said.
Goff has advice for others facing challenges.
“Be brave…and don’t give up,” Goff said.
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