On June 17, LINC’s Staten Island and Brooklyn staff collaborated on a unique trilingual program for World Sickle Cell Day (June 19th). As requested by the Very Involved Parent, Richelet Jean and his daughter, Hannah, who has sickle cell disease, LINC families united online to read the story Super Cells by Princess Walls in English, Spanish and French.
Super Cells follows the journey of Gizelle, a brave little girl facing the challenges of living with sickle cell. Gizelle finds her super inner strength to take care of herself by putting on her cape and turning sickle cells into Super Cells. This story gave families a chance to learn about sickle cell, to spread awareness about the illness, and to support other caregivers and children in similar situations.
Super Cells, along with other LINC read alouds and parent engagement workshops held during the pandemic, resonated with Richelet in a way that deeply honors our work and we would like to share it with you.
“I think your program, is a little larger and more powerful than I think even the people who are involved with it realize. Personally for me it was something, especially with the pandemic and schools and my daughter having a medical condition so she wasn’t able to participate, you gave her a source of community, of attention. I can tell you she reads grade level 2 or 3 and I directly attribute that to you guys because you did something, you made the reading more than just the reading. It’s the program itself, it’s the participation, it’s the joy, it’s the involvement, it’s the passion, it’s the consistency, it’s the professionalism that you bring to the program.”
Thank you Richelet and all of LINC’s Very Involved Parents. You inspire us to continue to do our work every day so that all children have the chance to experience the benefits of reading.
To register for LINC's upcoming virtual programs visit us at www.lincnyc.org/onlineprograms.
