Damali N. Reid

Obituary for Damali N. Reid

Damali Reid of Boston, Massachusetts passed away on March 9, 2026. She was 49 years old.

Beloved daughter of Lynda Reid and the late Franklyn Reid. Loving sister of Michelle Satchell and Dwayne Moore; Menelik Reid and his wife Shawnta; Omar Reid and his wife Brandy; Amiel Reid and his wife Tendresse; and Isaiah Reid and Ian French. Damali is also lovingly survived by many aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family members, and dear friends.

Damali was born, raised, and educated in Boston. She began her education at St. Gregory's Elementary School. In the fourth grade she transferred to the Lawrence School (K–8) in Brookline, where she graduated before attending Brookline High School through the 11th grade. After her family moved back to Boston, she enrolled in Dorchester High School. While there, she participated in the Another Course to College program and the Academy of Public Service, and she received a certificate recognizing her outstanding work tutoring and mentoring fellow students. She also won the Helen M. Moran Spelling Competition.

Damali was a brilliant and ambitious person who was loved and cherished by all whose lives she touched. She later graduated from Quinnipiac College on a full scholarship. During these years, the pain crises associated with sickle cell disease began to worsen, but she never allowed the illness to define or limit her.

Driven by compassion and determination, Damali founded the nonprofit support group Sickle Cell Advocacy and Family Engagement (SAFE). Through this group she created a safe space where patients and families could speak openly about their experiences living with sickle cell disease. She helped families learn coping strategies and encouraged patients to build strong relationships with their clinical care teams in order to receive patient- and family-centered care. Damali believed deeply in healthcare rooted in respect, communication, participation, and collaboration so that patients could receive personalized, safe, timely, and effective treatment.

From 2011 to 2014, Damali and her brother Amiel collaborated with George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine. Together they helped teach Harvard Medical School students about sickle cell disease from the perspective of patients and families. Their work contributed to a stem cell course held at the Harvard Medical Education Center. In addition, Dr. Daley, Damali, and Amiel created a video about living with sickle cell disease.

Damali and her brother Amiel bravely shared their personal experiences with sickle cell disease in a Boston Children's Hospital video, helping others understand the daily challenges and resilient hope of those living with the condition. Alongside her family, Damali also traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in Family Advocacy Day, where they joined other advocates in urging Congress to increase funding for research, continuing education for health professionals, and broader awareness of sickle cell disease, a cause her family had long championed in both local and national forums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s3s1oMsg74

https://baystatebanner.com/2008/07/23/sickle-cell-fight-is-in-dot-familys-blood/

Despite her many responsibilities and health challenges, Damali remained deeply committed to helping others. She returned to Dorchester High School to provide tutoring and support to students. Over the years she received various scholarships and awards from Brookline and Dorchester High Schools and from community organizations, including a significant college scholarship from The Girl Friends®, Incorporated, one of the oldest social organizations of African American women in the United States. She also received recognition from the International Blues Foundation in acknowledgment of her commitment to promoting ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity.

Damali later continued her education at Quinnipiac University and Roxbury Community College.

Throughout her life, Damali accomplished many remarkable things despite living with a debilitating illness. She was a fierce advocate for individuals living with sickle cell disease, creating support groups and educating communities about the condition.

Damali was also known for her sense of style and creativity. She loved doing hair and makeup for family members and helping everyone look their best for special occasions. She was a gifted writer and poet and loved traveling and exploring new places. She had a unique ability to lift people's spirits, making others smile even in difficult moments. Each Easter she lovingly made baskets and delivered them to children at Boston Children's Hospital and other local hospitals.

Above all, Damali loved her family, who were the cornerstone of her life.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, March 21st at 10:00 a.m. at St. Gregory Church, 2215 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Interment will follow at Oak Lawn Cemetery, Roslindale.