Lillie Johnson, Sickle Cell advocate, retired public health nurse and author, is a shining example of service to others and the community at large. Born in 1922 in Jamaica, Lillie learned early the value of education and helping others.  She started off as a teacher, like her parents and taught at the elementary level for seven years but she soon realized that she wanted to pursue nursing. She had the opportunity to go to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she spent three and a half years to acquire a nursing diploma. She said she was the only Black student in the program. After obtaining her diploma, Lillie went to the Hospital associated with Oxford University to become a midwife. She then returned to Jamaica, and took a number of courses at the University of the West Indies.  She later left Jamaica and went to New Jersey, where she worked at Beth Israel Hospital for two years. She subsequently migrated to Canada in 1960, where she secured a full time job in Ontario’s health care sector while furthering her nursing education. It was during these years she became aware of the negative health and social impact of Sickle Cell disease and she made it her life’s mission to raise awareness and build community support for affected individuals and their families.