She Tried to Get Up

A woman was in her home last Saturday evening. In recent years, she tended to other people’s children during the day in addition to two of her own. One of those other children was my granddaughter.

The woman loved all the children she cared for. She spent more than she should, buying gifts and treats, making sure they knew they were appreciated. They loved her back. My granddaughter was introduced to her as Miss Tanya. After a time, she took to calling her “My Tanya” as if she were hers alone.

Tanya’s middle child is twelve years old. She was in the kitchen with her mother last Saturday when bullets rang out in her neighborhood. One person was pronounced dead on the scene. Four others suffered superficial wounds. Tanya was struck by a bullet in her head and fell to the ground in front of her daughter.

Tanya Skeen was rushed to the hospital and was listed in critical condition. She was sedated because she kept trying to get up. She had children to raise. She tried to get up. She had meals to prepare. She tried to get up. She had a life to lead. She tried to get up. After five days in intensive care, she could rise no more. Tanya Skeen passed away.

The time will come to tell my granddaughter what happened to her Tanya. An inquisitive child she will ask why? She will ask who will take care of the youngest children. She will learn a lesson about this world we were not yet prepared for her to learn.

I hope to tell her that people helped. I hope to tell her that strangers reached out in this family’s time of need and did what they could. I hope that something positive can be salvaged from this tragic incident. Please go to the GoFundMe account at  https://www.gofundme.com/28bcpg8s  and do what you can. Lastly, share this with others that they might do the same.