Honoring Baby Miya: A Call for Change
The disappearance and search for Baby Miya Rudd has captured the attention and hearts of people around the state of Kentucky and nation. Kentucky State Police and local law enforcement worked diligently around the clock searching for Baby Miya. Everyone involved was hoping to find her alive and well, but hope started to diminish as each day passed. On Friday remains consistent with baby Miya were found in her home.
I could use this space to recount all the people who have been arrested in connection with this case or I could narrate all the tragic details. Instead, I would rather honor the life of Baby Miya and the three siblings she left behind. I’d like to dive deeper into why situations like these arise and how we as a community can work toward preventing them.
Baby Miya deserved so much more than she was given. She should have tasted her first birthday cake as she smashed into it. She should have been cheered on as she took her first wobbly steps. She should have felt a surge of wind through her hair as she went down the slide at the park. She should have been safe in the care of the people who brought her into this world. I pray she is now wrapped in the peace she deserved on this earth but was not given.
Miya leaves behind three siblings who are now in the care of their aunt. Please take a minute to consider the emotional weight being carried by Miya’s aunt as she mourns the loss of her niece, while also grieving her relationship with her sister (Miya’s mom). There is a complex mix of emotions associated with grieving a person who is still alive; one that is difficult to truly understand unless you have been there yourself.
Unfortunately, many people in our nation have experienced this and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t had a loved one lost to addiction, either through losing their life or becoming a different person altogether. According to the 2022 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 46.8 million (16.7%) Americans struggle with substance use disorder and about half of those people alsoreport having a mental health disorder.
I spoke with Megan Jackson, Systems Advocacy Specialist for New Beginnings, as a subject matter expert. Megan holds a Master of Social Work from Brecia University and is a strong advocate for children and families in Daviess County and surrounding communities. In my conversation with Megan, I could feel her passion for supporting families, especially those experiencing hardship or crisis. I could not imagine anyone more well positioned to speak on this topic given her experience, knowledge, and passion.
According to Megan, there are about 525 kids in foster care in Daviess County alone. She explained, “There are not near enough foster parents. (The kids are) sleeping on the floor in their (case worker’s) office because they don’t have placement for them. Sometimes they are placed in foster homes hours away from their families.”
I have seen so many people on social media say they would have taken this baby and cared for her. If you have said something like that and truly mean it, then please consider fostering and/or adoption. Babies in need will not just show up at your door, unless you register as a foster parent. Of course, this decision should not be taken lightly, but if you have a loving home and are able to foster, please consider it.
Beyond fostering, you can contribute by supporting organizations and programs which seek to prevent substance misuse and child abuse. On this topic Megan says, “Support programs and laws that support families. When people have access to food, when they have access to utilities, when they have access to work, when they have the ability to continue their education despite their socio-economic status – we see serious decline in substance misuse.”
Another great opportunity to directly support at risk children is to become a CASA volunteer. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. These volunteers work with social workers and judges to advocate for children in family court cases. This provides extra support to children to ensure the best possible outcome for them. You do not need to be a social worker to be a CASA volunteer, just a caring citizen.
Megan and I also discussed the implications of the stigma associated with mental health and substance misuse. “If we can destigmatize and stop villainizing people who are struggling then we will allow people more of an opportunity to speak up before it gets to the point of something like what happened to Baby Miya. We should take care of our neighbor; we should support them; we should not make things more difficult for them.”
Please take the time to consider the stigmas and biases you carry toward individuals with mental health conditions. These stigmas often prevent people from seeking help or receiving the support they need in fear of the backlash they may experience.
As a society and community, we must decide that we are willing to change to protect our children. In this we can honor Baby Miya and build a better world for her siblings and all children in our community.
By Chelsea Boling
