LOS ANGELES : Sickle Cell Group Seeks Funds for Baby’s Burial

A sickle cell anemia self-help organization has appealed for $1,000 to bury a 1-year-old boy who died of the disease.

“Whatever it takes to get this baby out of the morgue, that is what we’re going to do,” said Sister Somayah, an Islamic spiritualist representing Crescent Alliance Self-Help for Sickle Cell.

The coroner’s office “won’t release the body until all arrangements have been made,” Somayah said, adding that the organization already has raised $500 for the burial.

She said her group hopes a cemetery will volunteer to take the body, even if there is only a $500 down payment.

The unidentified mother of the boy, who was named Endoe and died Jan. 17, is reportedly unable to pay for the burial herself.

Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disease characterized by abnormal red blood cells that become sickle-shaped when deprived of oxygen, affecting the body’s major organs.

Anyone wishing to contribute should call (800) 482-4367 or (213) 293-1211.