Beloved Gwinnett County substitute teacher passes away after battle with sickle cell anemia

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A substitute teacher is being remembered after her family said she passed away from sickle cell anemia.

Kizzie Bell, a Gwinnett County educator, battled the disease for the past few years.

“It really started with Sickle Cell, which then caused kidney failure to start happening as well, which then caused heart failure,” Tysheen Benson, Bell’s son, told Channel 2′s Larry Spruill.

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Benson said his mom loved her job as a substitute teacher.

“That was really cool. [Teaching] was the last thing she started to do,” he said.

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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sickle cell anemia affects about 100,000 Americans. Also, 1 in 13 black babies is born with the Sickle Cell Trait.

“Kizzie was a vibrant member of the Norcross, Dacula and Lawrenceville communities,” Bell’s family wrote on an online fundraiser. “Her loss deeply affects us all, leaving a profound void.”

There is a GoFundMe account where you can donate online.

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