(Feb. 24, 2016) As a child, my grandson Ji’Aire was always a bright light that brought joy to everyone he met. He was well known and loved in his community. He was very excited to finally be able to start school like all the other big kids he tried so desperately to keep up with.
My grandson was not only the light of his mother Romechia’s life, but the light of his Granny’s life as well.
But Ji’Aire’s life was taken from us last May while in a swing at a park in Maryland.
Ji’Aire should still be here with us today, but because of gaps in the mental health system and a lack of resources for those suffering from a mental illness in Maryland help didn’t come in time to save my grandson.
As a grandmother and mother, I went to every agency I knew of seeking help and resources for my family. My daughter suffered a mental break for the first time nearly a year before my grandson’s death. Before that time she was attending college on a scholarship after scoring nearly 1500 on her SAT’s and working part-time.
On several occasions before Ji’Aire’s death, I contacted the Charles County Sheriff’s Department seeking assistance for my grandson and daughter while she was in crisis, but by law I had no rights over them. They said that she looked fine to them, despite the fact that I showed them paperwork stating that she was scheduled for an outpatient evaluation the next day.
Romechia was eventually taken to a southern Maryland hospital, but she was released after only 5 days.
I reached out to a number of agencies for help and even contacted a few of my delegates. No one was willing to help my family.
Maryland is in desperate need of mental health reform.
Maryland is now 1 of only 5 states in this country that doesn’t have adequate mental health laws. Assisted outpatient treatment – a proven method of helping people with severe mental illness – doesn’t exist in Maryland. Mental illness is not going to go away. It’s time for Maryland to get up to speed.
Ji’Aire would be 4 years old today, going to school, making new friends, and capturing the hearts of so many. As his grandmother, I have made it my mission to bring awareness and wellness to the mental health community. Ji’Aire was a precious soul who lost his life needlessly. I can’t allow him to die in vain. Mental illness is a silent killer that can’t remain silent anymore. We must scream out at the top of our lungs for reform and change.
VONTASHA SIMMS
MARYLAND
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