About Sharieff

Sharieff Hester (1994-2021)

"I am my Mother's heartbeat."

Lifelong Challenges

Diagnosed at birth with Multiple Congenital Anomalies, including scoliosis and underdeveloped lungs.
Oxygen-dependent during the day – which required wearing a trach and pushing an oxygen tank around with him wherever he went.
Ventilator-dependent at night.
90-degree spine curvature that required a corrective rod surgically placed against his spine.
When the rod broke, Sharieff developed pneumonia and was put into a medical coma and a body cast to allow his lungs to heal.
As he grew into adulthood, he remained at Boston Children’s Hospital because his medical conditions were too complex to transfer him to an adult hospital.
Small in stature, and cognitively behind his peers, Sharieff appeared to be about 10 or 11 years old for his entire adult life.
At age 27, Sharieff contracted COVID 19, developed multiple blood clots in his lungs and passed away after 10 days in the ICU.

Inspiring Ways

Sharieff never once complained.
At Keith Middle School, Sharieff performed on stage, playing the violin.
Sharieff loved football, and though he could not play, he wrote plays for his high school team and was granted honorary membership by Coach Brito. He was also an honorary member of the Dartmouth University Men’s Basketball Team, and an honorary member of Stonehill College in Eastern, Mass.
New Bedford High School’s faculty embraced his loving spirit and included him in many sports activities despite his inability to physically participate.
Sharieff earned the respect of – and the keys to the city – from Mayor Mitchell during a school field trip to City Hall.
Sharieff graduated from New Bedford High School in 2016.
Shortly after finishing high school, Sharieff worked part-time for a day program for adults with special needs.
Sharieff’s photo served as inspiration on the walls, in the elevators and on desktop screen savers at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Sharieff was well known and loved by multiple nurses on several different floors at Boston Children’s Hospital, including pulmonary, orthopedics, cardiology and the ICU. He affectionately became known as the Mayor of 10 South.
His sister Akeya described Sharieff as “our warrior angel and a constant ray of sunshine.”
Sharieff brought love and light to everyone he met.