According to News 9, Nadia McGahee is 22 years old, a student at Langston University, and in need of a kidney, with her path there beginning at age 7, when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and endured years of chemotherapy and radiation treatment that ultimately led doctors to declare kidney failure, along with a second collapsed lung along the way. Her story, and that of another Oklahoma woman living with sickle cell disease, is now the centerpiece of a benefit event set for September 19 at the Oklahoma History Center.
The event, Small Bites and Sound Bites: Spirit of Survival, was organized by L. Patrice Bell, founder of L. Bell Solutions and L. Bell Productions, and written to benefit her niece, McGahee, according to News 9. The benefit also aims to raise money for people affected by sickle cell disease and childhood cancer. News 9 reported that Bell chose a format built around food and music and personal storytelling rather than a conventional panel discussion.
Two Women, Two Health Battles
The evening centers on two women facing serious health challenges. Alongside McGahee is Amari Whitaker, who lives with sickle cell disease and co-owns Not Cho Cheesecake with her husband in Bethany, as reported by News 9. The bakery, near Route 66, is Black-owned and features more than 20 specialty cheesecake flavors, according to TravelOK.
Sickle cell disease affects roughly 100,000 Americans and occurs in about 1 out of every 365 Black or African American births in the United States, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. September was chosen deliberately: federal health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, designate the month as both National Sickle Cell Awareness Month and National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to promote early screening and research funding.
The Medical Toll Behind McGahee's Diagnosis
Research supports monitoring childhood cancer survivors for possible treatment-related complications, but it does not establish the details of McGahee's individual case. A long-term study of more than 25,000 childhood cancer survivors, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and available via PMC, found a 35-year cumulative incidence of late-onset kidney failure of 1.7% among survivors, compared with 0.2% among siblings who did not have cancer. The study identified an elevated population-level risk associated with childhood cancer survivorship; McGahee's medical history was reported by News 9.
The scale of what McGahee now faces is daunting. More than 100,000 Americans currently sit on the national organ transplant waiting list, with over 92,000 of them waiting specifically for a kidney, according to the American Kidney Fund. Median wait times for a deceased donor kidney nationally range between three and five years, per the same data.
What Guidance Says About Survivorship and Transplants
The National Cancer Institute says risk-based screening studies have identified previously unrecognized, treatment-related health complications among childhood cancer survivors, although that population-level evidence does not establish the details of McGahee's individual case. Separately, an Oklahoma Health Care Authority evaluation says the Jimmy Everest Center provides sickle-cell care through age 21 and can begin transitioning patients to adult care as early as age 13. For patients pursuing a kidney transplant, the United Network for Organ Sharing says the usual waitlist process begins with a physician referral and contact with a transplant hospital for evaluation. UNOS also says that, in some cases, a living person can donate all or part of a functioning organ, subject to evaluation by a transplant program.
Food, Music and Games Drive the Storytelling
Small Bites and Sound Bites features food, music, games, live music, a DJ and personal stories, according to News 9's report. Bell described the format as using food and music together as the vehicle for sharing these experiences rather than staging a traditional panel. The event brings in certified sommelier Ian Bennett, co-owner of Film Row wine bar The Study in Oklahoma City. Bennett was named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service in 2025, according to 405 Magazine.
Chef Jeremy Johnson, who serves as Chief Culinary Officer at the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, will provide bites tied to the show at specific moments throughout the evening, as noted by News 9.
Proceeds Support Children's Hospital Programs
Ten percent of the money raised at the event will go to the Oklahoma Children's Hospital Volunteers, which is the event's named beneficiary, News 9 reported.
Small Bites and Sound Bites begins at 5:30 p.m. on September 19 at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City. Tickets and information are available at Bell's website, lpatricebell.com.
