About Us

Janiyah Leday is the beautiful inspiration behind our sickle cell foundation. She was a vibrant little girl born with sickle cell anemia, a hereditary blood disorder that can cause intense pain and life-threatening complications. Tragically, in 2015, Janiyah passed away at just seven years old due to complications of sickle cell disease – a sudden severe crisis (splenic sequestration) that took her life in the middle of the night. Her passing was devastating and, heartbreakingly, it was a result of a lack of information and awareness about the proper emergency care for sickle cell. Janiyah's love for people and her bright spirit are what her family remembers most. It is this love that fuels everything we do to support families affected by this condition.

In the wake of Janiyah’s loss, her grandmother and aunt decided to turn their grief into action by establishing Janiyah's Love Sickle Cell Foundation in 2015 as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Founded by Letitte Buxie (Janiyah’s grandmother) and Jakyra Ceasar (Janiyah’s aunt), this sickle cell foundation was created to honor Janiyah’s memory and ensure that no other family feels alone or uninformed while facing sickle cell disease. We carry Janiyah’s name to keep her loving spirit at the heart of our mission.

From the beginning, our purpose has been crystal clear – to educate, support families, and advocate. “I started the foundation to spread awareness, comfort, and education in order to prevent untimely deaths,” says Letitte Buxie, Janiyah’s grandmother and our CEO. This means we focus on teaching the community about sickle cell, providing emotional support to patients and their families, and promoting early intervention and proper care. We want to ensure that what happened to Janiyah never happens to another child simply due to lack of knowledge. Our mission is also about hope and empowerment: the foundation’s goal is to support families and extend the lives of those living with sickle cell disease. By raising awareness and connecting people with vital resources, we strive to improve the quality of life for “sickle cell warriors” in Southeast Texas and beyond.

Today, Janiyah's Love Sickle Cell Foundation stands as a beacon of love, knowledge, and community in Beaumont, Texas. We are proud to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit – all donations to our organization are tax-deductible and directly fuel our programs. What began as a grandmother’s pledge to remember her granddaughter has evolved into a community movement. With every health fair, school talk, or blood drive, we keep Janiyah’s light shining and fulfill the promise that Janiyah’s love will continue to make a difference in the world.