Black Land PodcastEmpowering Kelaia: A Path To Healing (gofundme)
Dr. Vanessa Tyler has a conversation with Ty Turner, mother of 14 year old Kelaia Turner. When Kelaia was 12 years old she was a victim of verbal and physical bullying by her South Carolina classmates for over a year. Eventually, Kelaia attempted suicide by hanging herself in 2023. Kelaia now suffers from permanent brain damage and requires round-the-clock care. Ty Turner tells us about her fight to provide care and justice for her daughter and she shares insight into Kelaia's spirit.
And now as a brown person, you just feel so invisible.
Where we're from. Brothers and sisters. I welcome you to this joyful day and we celebrate freedom.
Where we are I know someone's heart something.
And where we're going.
We the people means all the people.
The Black Information Network presents black Land with your host Vanessa Tyler. Welcome back, believe it or not. After twelve year old Koalia Turner attempted suicide after she was relentlessly bullied after at South Carolina school, she nearly died. In fact, several times she was clinically dead with a loss of oxygen. She is now in a vegetative state. But during her one hundred and one days in the hospital, her mother tied Turner, who was the one who found her child.
That was about eleven eighteen pm on the first evening of spring break, and I found my beautiful, bright girl hanging from the belt of her robe from the loft of her bunk.
Also tells me the bullying did not stop when pictures of her child ended up on social media.
So the incident in ICU, we still were never able to get to the bottom of. So I really am hesitant to speak on it. Other than to say this, Her ICU was very guarded. No one was allowed to see Kalia except who we thought was her best friend. So when Kalia hung herself, she bit through her tongue in four different places and it lived outside of her mouth for more than two months. And we would have never wanted anyone to see that, and no one ever really saw it except, like I said, those who were close family members and the one person that we did allow some alone time with her. And we did find out that in that alone time with her, that that young lady facetimed several other students, including once that that young lady told me herself, we're not friends of Khalia.
In those pictures got passed around on social media. Yes, now this mother is on a mission to stop the bullying. The family is also suing the Greenville County, South Carolina School District and that teacher, who admitted she was in the room even participated bullying. Kaleia Turner says, the school did nothing and officials don't even seem to care.
And when you look at the response from the school district, it's so cold, you know. And not only are they not talking about what they're going to do moving forward to make sure there's not another Kalia Turner. I don't really feel any empathy and compassion for Kaleia Turner. There's no accountability for what happened to Kalia Turner. There are only the words that they feel sorry for Kaleia Turner and her family.
What's your message to parents, to the children, to those who have children who are being bullied, and to those parents who may have gotten a call that their child is, you know, a bully at school themselves.
The first thing that I would say is that hurt people. Hurt people. And the reason then I said that I'm taking on this advocacy is because mental health is so important, and all this is about mental health, every last bit of it from the bully that isn't receiving what they need at home. Because kids have to have stability, you know, they have to have acceptance, they have to feel security, they have to feel supported, and they have to feel loved. And the fact of the matter, not every child has that at home. The same thing with our children that are being bullied. They show signs. I saw this little light of mind dimming. I saw it, I could feel it. She went from a bubbly ray of sunshine to somebody who constantly had their eyes shiny with tears ready to drop at any moment.
Terner says everything she attempted, like trying to meet with the parents of the bullies, changed school units for Khalia, were met with a brick wall. She also has this die or warning.
I think we forget that a lot of these school shootings that have happened happened because the students were bullied and nobody took the time to treat them like they mattered.
How can we help, Well.
You're healthy now just by sharing her story, That's the thing I mean, because I don't think that enough if people realize how real this issue is. And it did happen to a little black girl in South Carolina, but that's not the only person that it's happening too, and it happens every day.
Reluctantly, the family has set up a goalfundme to care for Kohleia, who is now fourteen years old.
I am so conflicted about the GoFundMe. Initially, I didn't want to make a gofund me because I don't want to exploit Claire's story in any way, nor do I want it to feel exploitative, but many supporters give me ideas are are They suggest things? And the GoFundMe was at the suggestion of a supporter. You know, they were asking what we were trusting and believing God for. And we set a Vanne like that's really all we need is just to be able to so she made it right, she's living now. We need to help her to thrive and have the very best life possible, y'all. I'm so proud. I won't want to ask for anything. I really don't. But we have sat in the house for eighteen months on my bride on Me, wanting to figure it out ourselves, and so we did put it out there, and we've been overwhelmed with somebody access to create an Amazon gift list for Kalia because some people don't feel comfortable given to the GoFundMe, and I understand that people have just been wonderful. Strangers have been more beautiful than friends. In this season. There is an Amazon wish list for Khalia. It is a public list. It's called Kalaia's Care And you know, I just add things on there because sometimes, like somebody last night reached out. We've gotten tons of messages through the GoFundMe and I've responded to every single one.
The family emptied their savings. Ty Turner has quit her job to be a full time caretaker for Kalia. She also is now a full time fighter against bullying.
I will be advocating for Kohalia. I will be advocating for children like Kalia because there are so many and GIRLA county is gonna have to stand up. We're gonna have to be accountable. We're going to have to show and and prove what we're doing to make sure that this doesn't happen again. I've cried many tears. There have been lots of whinies, why her? But God and I know that there is a purpose. There has always been a purpose in this. In the purposes that and that is to be light in a dark place.
Old recital videos of Kleia playing the piano reminds her mother of who she was. Her vibrant, active, whip smart daughter is now a symbol of what must change.
And again, the golf on me is kindness for Khleia, Kindness for Khalia. Listen, if you can't give, because not everyone can, you can lead in love like we want this to be a whole entire movement. So one of the greatest commandments that God asks us is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. And if we would just do that, the world would be such an incredible place. May God keep you, keep your husband, your daughter's and most importantly, your precious Khalia Man.
I'm Vanessa Tyler. Like and subscribe to black Land. Check out past episodes. Let me know what you think on Instagram at Vanessa Tyler one. A new episode drops every Friday,
