RIP Katelyn & Naika we will never forget you.
Update 7/5/18
Over a year has passed since both these bright souls lost their lives, there has been no justice for either of them. It seems they never will get justice, their lives were pain and suffering, and nothing was done for them. They will not be the last if we do nothing. In regards to Katelyn's father, those blaming him are still in the wrong, while he could have potentially done more, the fault lays with her abusive mother and her sexually abusive stepfather. Naika and Katelyn both suffered abuse from their own caregivers, both girls should still be here if it was not for parental abuse of two mentally ill, but caring girls who deserved so much better. As do so many suffering from great depression, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain are the most recent victims. But never forget, these were children who needed aid and were abused instead.
Adults will suffer from depression and it is even harder to deal with, yet saving a child's life is not difficult. Everything these girls did was a cry for love, support, and acceptance. That is not hard to give if you have a soul. Early intervention prevents those who survived to middle age, from eventually giving up, it can also remove the thought entirely. Childhood traumas are the leading cause of depression, and depression is the leading cause of suicide. Does it take a genius to correlate the two?
My original article is not the best written, I was still honing my craft as I am today, this story is also one that is hard to type without shaking out of anger, out of disgust and sorrow. For two souls that simply cried out for love, and got nothing. Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain suffered in a different way, but why do we only focus on adults who have suffered so much that the root of the issue, may never be seen? Depression stems from two things, fatigue & loneliness, which are born of a distressing and unloved childhood.
I quote Lenorad Nimoy, from his song titled
Spock Thoughts, it offers a deep insight into depression & humanity, in a very simple yet profound manner. "Do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue & loneliness, beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself, you are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here."
Update 2/14/17
Had there been coverage or justice for Katelyn, perhaps her death could have saved those like Naika Venant, a bright 14-year-old girl who dreamed of publishing a novel. She was in a foster home, having been abused repeatedly in the Florida Foster Care System. She was born in Haiti, and her mother sent her to Florida, in hopes that she could have a better life. Instead, she was abused, both mentally, and sexually...
That led to her taking her life a mere three weeks after Katelyn did... In a very similar manner, she hung herself in her bathroom while streaming the entire event. The media could have spread Katelyn's video, and shown that anyone streaming that, does not want to do it. They are clearly wanting others to see how much pain they are in and hoping someone will save them at the last moment, no one does. The media never cares to educate, only to titillate and create stories, the information could have saved this girl's life. It brings me to the situation in Yemen, children starving to death and being blown to bits, yet no one seems to care. Not until it is too late. We fight for so much, we fight for the right to destroy water for profit, we kill out of fear or for profit, and we let those who truly need help suffer alone. Why have these two girls and the countless children in Yemen not received Justice? Could it be that no one cares if your brown, or poor... Could it be that people think Mental Illness is such a joke, that they let this happen? Yes, there have been many people who cried wolf or used it as an excuse, yet should we let those who truly need help suffer, just because a few may not be truly ill? Should we be afraid to speak because of who we might offend, or should we have the courage to speak because of who we could inspire?
Original article from January 1st, 2018
I am a survivor, I have been where this poor girl was and she wanted this video to be seen. This child suffered a horrible life, she had virtually no one to truly care for her. This is far different from most teen suicides, while they have been occurring with tragic frequency, it is rare for someone this young to take their life... She was weeks away from being 13, her life was barely started and it was nothing but misery. Sleeping in a room on a rusty mattress, on a soaked floor filled with damp water and mildew in the winter, all flooded all by faulty pipes. That is no way for a child to live. She even had a hole in her floor, one of her lighter comments was referencing that a bird had flown into her room, "Just my luck" she wrote. This girl was sexually assaulted by her mother's then-boyfriend, her mother is a drug addict as she states in many of her blog entries. This girl was posting and writing, calling for help and it never came. She had to care for her little brother and sister, all while being tormented by her own mother.
The events surrounding this tragedy are far more unique than most cases, this girl lived a life of hell at home, then received further torment at school. For some bullying is a normal and almost healthy rite of passage growing up, and frankly your not going to weed out mean kids. It is more troubling when the real fact for the bullying at school, more than likely stemmed from that person's poor home life. Some of us can take a licking, but all of us need a support system. This girl had no adult who really cared for her, this girl was tormented by many. I hope she had friends that might have brought her life some joy, but most people who are so tormented become deeply afraid of being hurt again. Yes a lot of us just need to toughen up, but here is the thing, if your 12 you are not mentally equipped to handle this kind of strife... She suffered from severe depression, and had no one there to help her understand her condition. Her biological father lived miles away, but her mother kept him from visiting her in the hospital during her first suicide attempt.
That's right before this poor girl thought of the darkest means to be heard, she had already tried once... She was saved, and on suicide watch, yet her mother left her home alone. This girl videotaped her suicide for a reason, it is not our right to take down her last act on this earth. Saying what about her family is no excuse, they are the reason this little girl died alone sobbing... Her mother abused her physically and mentally, not to mention allowing her to be sexually assaulted. Maybe she wanted people to see what was her only option, is it not possible she did so to perhaps save another life? Maybe she wanted another father to realize he could save he child if he just tired. Anyone that says that the video should be removed, is sick and selfish. It may be traumatizing to view, as it should be. Yet, people need to see that there are people out there that are truly in pain, not just crying out for attention. This poor girl also chose to make that video, and if you respect the wishes of the dead you will view the video I have a link below. There will always be bullies, we can not make the world a safe space. BUT, we can be decent human beings, and if we see a person suffering we can stand with them, for them if necessary. We all wish someone would help us, why do we not offer that help which we crave in our times of need? How can you see a child suffer and do nothing, how can you see the red flags and let this poor soul think death was the best option. Most people are too selfish and too cynical to choose to be there for another.
So the next time you see a person suffering alone, think back to this video, in its entirety. She made it for a reason, it is not our place to remove her last act.
I have now uploaded my own copy of the video, as I refuse to let anyone erase this last girls act, it is horrible to watch, but it can save a life, and she did it for a purpose, it is not our right to take it down. She shared it for a purpose. So I share it not truly knowing her purpose, but knowing if that had been me, I would want my last act, my memory kept intact.
Some may think this is insensitive, yet it is would be truly insensitive to not tell this girl's story.
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