South Bend mom memorializes slain 7-year-old by bringing joy to other little girls
SOUTH BEND — Nothing compares to the joy on the face of a child who gets exactly what they want for Christmas.
They tear off the gift wrapping, and their ear-to-ear smile and gleaming eyes make all the work that parent did to get that gift under the tree worthwhile. On Dec. 25, 2019, Shanette Smiley saw the gleaming eyes and megawatt smile on the face of her daughter, Chrisyah Stephens.
On that day, Chrisyah, who had just turned 7 on Dec. 13, saw a big box that contained the Barbie Dream House she longed for. Smiley preserved the memory on a phone video.
More: Family marches for justice for 7-year-old Chrisyah Stephens
It would be Chrisyah's last Christmas. Eight months later, the first-grader at Muessel Elementary School died as a result of gun violence while attending a birthday party on Aug. 27, 2020.
Stephens said her daughter loved school and she loved her Barbie Dream House.
"She was very, very excited to get the Barbie Dream House," she said.
Forever 7 initiative
Smiley wants to see that look of joy on the faces of other little girls, and that is why she started Forever 7, an initiative to bring Christmas joy to 10 little girls.
The charity made a donation of Barbie Dream Houses and Barbie dolls during an event Monday marking what would have been Chrisyah's 9th birthday. Those in attendance appeared emotionally moved by watching Chrisyah opening her gift on that phone video, projected onto a screen.
"I just want to keep her memory alive," Smiley said. "I just want to see the kids as excited as she was and make them dream big."
The Forever 7 party was held at the Nexus Center, 3607 S. Michigan St.
Desmont Upchurch is founder of the Upchurch Family Foundation, a nonprofit that supports other charities doing worthwhile work in the community. Upchurch said Smiley approached him at an event held earlier this year and told him about the Forever 7 initiative to buy the Dream Houses.
Upchurch worked with Aja Ellington, founder of Free Your Wings Youth Mentoring, a group that provides mentoring, tutoring and mental health services to young people between 13 and 22 years old, to organize the event. Ellington served as emcee.
Upchurch said Meijer made a donation that allowed him to buy the gifts and that 10 community members donated money that will be used to establish a scholarship in Chrisyah Stephens' name that will be given to female students of color.
Giving joy in Chrisyah's name
Monday night was for 10 little girls who came to the Nexus center with their families. Each of those girls got a chance to tear the gift wrapping off a big box and a little box. The smiles were wide as each of the girls stood in front of parents, grandparents and other adults.
Komonique Thomas used her phone to take pictures as her 7-year-old granddaughter, Komari, opened her gifts. Thomas said her granddaughter needed this.
"She's a middle child, so she has trouble adjusting and adapting at home and just to be able to have something like this of her very own is special for her," Thomas said.
Thomas also had high praise for Smiley.
"I just admire her strength," Thomas said. "I admire the courage she had to be able to go through with this process and having her daughter’s name associated with this forever and live on and is just amazing."
Erica Parker, a cousin of Smiley and Chrisyah, said she was happy to see the joy in the eyes of her 4-year-old granddaughter, Lyric Anderson, as she opened her gifts. Her thoughts also turned to Smiley. She said the public is seeing a display of generosity from Smiley that the family sees regularly.
"She already has a big heart," Parker said. "It’s just everything for her to be able to stand and do this and give to others some joy in her daughter’s name."
More: Not-guilty verdict in shooting death of 7-year-old South Bend girl at birthday party
Family seeks justice
Faneice Douglas, another cousin who came to support Smiley, said the last year has been difficult for Smiley and the entire family. Smiley is still looking for someone to be brought to justice for the murder of her daughter. Police arrested and charged a 19-year-old man for firing the shot that killed Chrisyah, but he was acquitted in August.
"It would be a huge burden lifted to get some kind of justice," Douglas said.
The party was held at the Nexus Center, a building owned by David Buggs and his wife, psychiatrist Dr. LaRissa Chism Buggs. Both say it was important for them to support an event that sought to bring some joy to what was a tragic situation.
"It's important for us to come together and remember those things that are positive even in the midst of this tragedy," Chism Buggs said. "It's important to remember what we can do when we come together.
"We reinforce the fact that we are not alone."
Email South Bend Tribune reporter Howard Dukes at hdukes@gannett.com
Follow him on Twitter: @DukesHoward
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend mom of girl killed gun violence gives Barbie Dream Houses
