I love reading stories of people who are building their own businesses lately, especially young people, to help others in their families and their communities. This is another great one!
Sisters Amaya and Armani Jefferson have a baby sister named Taylor who is living with sickle cell anemia at just one year old. Taylor’s condition inspired 13-year-old Amaya and 12-year-old Armani to help their sisters and others living with the disorder. The two began their own business, Mani and Maya’s Fruity Treats, where they sell drinks like lemonade and smoothies. They donate a portion of their funds towards sickle cell research to the Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Hospital.
“What motivated me was seeing Taylor in the hospital sick and crying because she cannot really move around because of the IVs in her hand. So she’s like always sat because she really cannot go around and play a lot. So what motivates me is seeing her like that and wanting us to help her not get sick anymore,” Amaya told InsideEdition.com.
The two just started last year and already beginning to ship nationwide and expanding their menu. “It makes me feel good because we’re so young, We’re just 13 and 12 years old. And knowing that there’s not many kids doing what we’re doing, and that we’re so young and doing something so big it feels great,” Armani said.
Check out more of their story below!
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