Baby Bella laid to rest

Four-year-old D’Onya “Bella” Walker, whose tragic death last month sent shockwaves throughout the country, was laid to rest on Grand Bahama during an emotional service on Saturday. 

Walker died from blunt force trauma about the body. Her mother and mother’s boyfriend have been charged in connection with her death.

Walker’s pink Peppa Pig-themed casket was taken on a motorcade on Friday morning before it was flown to Grand Bahama and taken to Westside Mortuary in Eight Mile Rock for viewing. 

On Saturday morning, Walker’s father and other relatives, friends and politicians, gathered inside St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Hunters. 

A group of small little children gathered on the street opposite the church, each wearing T-shirts adorned with Bella’s image.

Other supporters gathered near the church. They wore pink shirts with Bella’s face on the front, and “Justice for Bella” written on the back.

West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe, Pineridge MP Ginger Moxey, and Marco City MP Michael Pintard were also in attendance.

Rev. Father David Cooper said it was cruel that Bella’s life was snatched away at such an early age.

“Death is never easy for any time or place, for any circumstance or people, but the death of a child is most unnatural and the hardest to bear,” he said during the service.

“We expect old people to die. Sick people eventually die. But a young child, in this case, four years old, who saw it coming? This kind of separation is difficult. When a loved one is as young and tender as I call her, Baby Bella, this is a different situation. We say life with its beauty, with its wonder and its potential is all in front of her. That’s been snatched away. Death is cruel you know when it strikes the young.”

Cooper said it has been sad to see speculation over the circumstances of Bella’s death play out on social media and in the news.

“This is tragic enough,” he said.

“It is not to be played out on social media platforms. 

“Not in the jurisdiction of some reporter looking for a good story. Stop speaking to the press. Grieve, for God’s sake. Accept this loss. You never fully will, but start to process. Allow this to sink in.

“And you know, when I reflect on all of this, it is true that Bella’s death was tragic, it was unnecessary, but the heartwrenching thing is it was avoidable.”

Cooper said parents need to be more involved in their children’s lives. 

“Bahamian people, especially our adults, we like to think that we are young people,” he said.

“So, we are going to be dumping our children everywhere to be free. We do it all the time.

“… And we ain’t going to learn. That’s why these kinds of things happen.”

Bella’s death sparked national outrage and lead to a renewed national conversation about violence against women and children.

She was killed just two months after she moved from Grand Bahama, where she had been living with her father’s family, to New Providence to be with her mother. 

Bella’s mother, Ostonya Walker, is accused of exposing the four-year-old to grievous bodily harm and cruelty to children.

Walker’s boyfriend, Darion Smith, is charged with the youngster’s November 5 murder.

Justice

As noted, Bella’s body was returned to her father’s family on Friday morning, following a touching send-off that started with a motorcade on New Providence.

Her relatives were on hand at the Grand Bahama International Airport as her body arrived.

Emotions ran high and tears flowed as the tiny casket was loaded into an SUV that escorted Bella to her final flight to her family on Grand Bahama.

Patrice Hanna-Carey, who organized the motorcade wiped away tears as she spoke to reporters on New Providence on Friday. 

“We all know that Bella impacted the nation based on the circumstances surrounding the untimely death,” she said.

“With the family having had to deal with court and other things…with that being passed, it’s time for us to get back on track.

“…We need to display as a body of people exactly how we feel about this. We weren’t given sufficient time to even begin the grieving process.

“… This is the last gift to D’Onya’s father, her family and those that knew her well and for us, as a body of people so we don’t just let this baby travel for Grand Bahama, come here alive, leave here dead, go in the grave and there is no memory or nothing that we do to represent that.”

Bella’s father’s attorney, Maria Daxon, and Senate President LaShell Adderley were among the pink and white-clad supporters at the motorcade.

Daxon said she particularly feels for Bella’s father, Deno Smith.

“When I spoke to his mother, it brought tears to my eyes,” she said.

“She said Bella always wanted to sleep on the chest of her father.”

 Adderley, who delivered a passionate speech in the Senate last week on the subject of domestic violence in The Bahamas, pledged her support in helping to address the issue.

“I hereby pledge my support to lend my full, full [support] with every fiber of my being to assisting and doing the best I can to pass legislation with respect to all forms of domestic and gender-based violence,” Adderley said.

“It’s vitally important that everyone within the society feels protected and whatever legislation comes to the Senate, we, for sure, by all means…if we have to sit all night, they must be passed.” 

On Grand Bahama, there was an emotional scene as well.

Outside Westside Mortuary in Eight Mile Rock, Ranique Burrows spoke for the family.

As Bella’s crying grandmother was being consoled behind her, Burrows said that along with a sense of profound loss, the family is still feeling disbelief.

“God only lends us these children, and it’s our job to protect them and take care of them,” Burrows said.

“So, as a family, they do feel as if they wish they could change it but they can’t.

“So, now their biggest fight is to make sure that she gets justice.” 

Burrows said that while the family is grieving, they are thankful for all the support they have received from friends and even complete strangers.

The post Baby Bella laid to rest appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

source https://thenassauguardian.com/baby-bella-laid-to-rest/