Sickle cell warrior to show SCD patients how to be ‘Living Your Life’

Kier Spates' new podcast will premiere April 18 on YouTube

Marisa Wexler, MS avatar

by Marisa Wexler, MS |

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Kier “Junior” Spates is hosting a new podcast to empower and educate people living with sickle cell disease.

Called “Living Your Life,” the show can be found on YouTube or on the podcast website. The first episode, which premieres April 18, features comedian Nathaniel Stroman, better known as Earthquake, whose half-hour special “Legendary” opened on Netflix last year.

“When launching a new show, you have to bring the hype, so I did not hesitate to call one of my famous friends in the comedy game,” Spates said in a promotional video description.

Spates, who has sickle cell, is a comedian best known for co-hosting the nationally syndicated radio program “The Steve Harvey Morning Show.” He also hosts his own radio program and his writing has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy.

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Spates is no stranger to sickle cell activism — he founded the Kier’s Hope Foundation, which supports people with the disorder, and has shared his experiences with sickle cell and getting treatment.

Joining Spates as co-host on “Living Your Life” will be Corey Hebert, MD, chief medical officer at Dillard University and an assistant professor at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Tulane University Medical Center.

Hebert has spent more than two decades as an emergency physician and is an award-winning medical broadcast journalist, having spent more than 15 years as chief medical editor for the NBC television affiliate in New Orleans and the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Together, Spates and Hebert will highlight the stories of people and families who are thriving while living with sickle cell. They’ll also talk to medical experts and entertainment influencers, and provide tips on topics ranging from healthcare and physical fitness to travel, eating, sleep, and mental health.

The goal is to increase awareness about sickle cell and share inspiring, empowering stories with the community.

The new podcast is sponsored by Emmaus Medical, which markets Endari (L-glutamine), a medication approved for sickle cell patients ages 5 and older in the U.S. The podcast’s executive producer is multi-Emmy winner Rushion McDonald, who has worked on projects such as “Family Feud,” “Steve Harvey Talk Show,” and “Think Like A Man.”