ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Samaya Cameron could often be found behind her camera’s viewfinder. An avid photographer and passionate student with an interest in fashion, she was always working behind the scenes to showcase the beauty and appreciation of others. “Her smile is very contagious, and she’s very, very funny, and she cares about others. She liked to help others before herself,” says her mom, Claire Wheeler-Cameron. She says her shy, sweet daughter was also a fighter in the face of sickle cell anemia—a condition that affects the shape of red blood cells, how they pass through the body and can at times cause blocks in blood flow. Nine of every 10 sickle cell patients identify as Black or African descent, according to the National Institutes of Health. “In her early stages was when she was most vulnerable. She was having a lot of crises, multiple hospitalizations, and so I tried to educate myself more about sickle cell and what to do,” Claire explains to News 8’s Mikhaela Singleton. “That did not stop her from going into track and field. She was so strong. She was resilient. She wanted to do everything that everyone could do, and I tried to stop her, but that was Samaya.” “I always loved how funny she was. She would make me laugh and turn any bad day I had into a good one,” says Samaya’s younger sister, Maya, who also struggles with sickle cell. “We always had each other, you know?” Samaya was in her freshman year at SUNY Buffalo when she came down with pneumonia in 2020. Though she received a blood transfusion during treatment at an area hospital, Claire says Samaya had an adverse reaction that was not treated in time. Samaya passed away at just 19 years old from these complications due to her sickle cell.  “When she passed, even though my whole family was together, I still felt alone, because she was like my best friend. It was very hard for me,” remembers Maya. While her loss devastated Samaya’s family, it also rocked the Rochester Prep community where she left a lasting impression as a student. The school came together to organize a blood drive in her honor, now going strong for four years.  “We immediately started kicking around ideas about how we could honor her but also how to raise awareness for sickle cell anemia and combating the blood shortages that our community faces, so this just made sense,” explains one of the main organizers, James Dill, who also serves as the director of special education for Rochester Prep High School.  He says more than 40 percent of all the donations come from students wanting to honor Samaya and support Maya in her senior year and as she prepares for a January hip replacement surgery due to necrosis caused by sickle cell. “It’s remarkable! They want to honor Samaya. They know the type of person that she was, and they’ve heard all about her. They’re very close in their relationships with her sister, Maya, who still is a student with us, but they also know the impact that they can have by donating and by raising awareness of sickle cell,” says Dill. “It means a lot, because you know nobody wants to be alone going through this, and I’m very grateful that they are there for me,” says Maya. “I love that people every year come together and share memories of Samaya and celebrate her life,” she goes on to say. Claire says she hopes Maya can grow up, complete college, and fulfill her dreams—things Samaya couldn’t fully experience. She hopes someday, there will be more awareness for sickle cell, its impact on families, and the loved ones the disease takes away.  “I love people, I love children, and I want to save lives. I know Samaya wanted to give back too, so I think I’m doing the right thing,” says Claire. “I want the public to know more about sickle cell. I want there to be more education in schools, colleges, and many other places.” On top of this blood drive, Claire participates in numerous events for the Red Cross and is working on a scholarship in Samaya’s honor benefitting other students with sickle cell anemia. “Samaya would be so impressed to see the legacy that she left behind. She did not know that she had been so loved,” Claire concludes.