'Thank you for being a change-maker': GMA and Disney recognize 10-year-old Brockton girl

Caitlyn Kelleher, USA TODAY NETWORK - New England
Updated ·2 min read
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Good Morning America, the national morning news show on ABC, recognized the work and caring heart of a 10-year-old Brockton resident Lilly Campbell in a segment that aired on June 21.

Lilly started her business Better Beads by Lilly to help bring awareness to sickle cell anemia, which is the disease from which her older brother suffers. She and her mother create the handmade jewelry as one-of-a-kind bracelets with two red beads to symbolize sickle cell disease.

"My mission is to make lots of people know what sickle cell is," Lilly said in the GMA segment.

The money raised from the bracelets is donated to Next Step, a nonprofit in the Boston area that "shatters limitations & elevates aspirations of young people with serious illness during their transition to adulthood".

Doing good things: Brockton 9-year-old's brother's a sickle cell warrior and she's fighting right beside him

Isaiah, her brother, said that as more people know about the disease, the less of a stigma there will be about it, and he hopes talking about it will make people feel less alone.

You're going to Disney World

As part of the segment Lilly and her family were surprised with a five-day trip to Disney World.

"Your kindness is magic. It is the kind of magic that touches people," said Serena Arvizu, the Walt Disney World Ambassador. "Thank you for being a change-maker. Thank you for being a magic-maker. Thank you, most of all, for being Lilly."

What is Sickle Cell Disease

Healthy red blood cells are round and move easily through the blood vessels, while in someone with SCD, their hemoglobin is abnormal, causing the red blood cells to look C-shaped, the CDC said. As a result, they get stuck and clog blood flow as they travel through the blood vessels. This can cause severe pain and serious complications.

"Sometimes I feel really bad because I can't do anything to help, and I don't know how it feels to have sickle cell," Lilly said during the May 2023 interview with the Enterprise.

There are some days when Isaiah is in excruciating pain, and it's difficult for the family to watch him go through the motions.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: GMA was in Brockton to recognize 10-year-old Lilly Campbell