The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE remains of Baby Bella Walker arrived in Grand Bahama from New Providence on a private charter aircraft on Friday afternoon – a solemn final journey home for the four-year-old who captured the heart of a nation.

Family, friends, and supporters were at the airport as the aircraft touched down around noon. Bella’s grandmother, Meredith Grant, was also there.

Bella will be laid to rest on Saturday. The funeral will be held at 11am at St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Hunters, where the little girl grew up and lived with her paternal grandmother, who raised her from the time she was two weeks old.

On Friday, people gathered at the airport’s security gate and watched as the sky blue casket was unloaded from the aircraft. It was decorated with an image of Peppa Pig – a popular children’s cartoon character.

“Welcome home Bella,” relatives and close friends said as attendants from Serenity Funeral Home wheeled the small casket to a hearse.

A police officer also gave a salute. “It is a sad day,” the officer said.

A motorcade of cars decorated with pink balloons travelled close behind the hearse to Westside Memorial Mortuary in Eight Mile Rock.

Ranique Burrows, a close friend and spokesperson for the family, said that the grandmother is heartbroken, but also relieved that Bella is finally home.

“For them, this means that she is able to come to a final resting place and it gives them a sense of peace that Bella is home,” she said.

Ms Burrows said the family is pleased with the services and the design of the casket by Michael Hepburn at Serenity Funeral Home.

“He offered his services, and everything was done professionally and with perfection. This is a burial fit for a princess, which she is.”

When asked how Bella’s grandmother is doing, she said the family is still very hurt.

“The grandmother and the family are not able to speak so I am speaking for them. This is heartbreaking; she had four sons and never had a daughter and Bella was the closest thing God gave her to a daughter. They had a rough time trying to get her to stay permanently in their care, and for her to go to Nassau for two months and to return like this, is a lot to bear.”

Also at the airport, PLP Senator James Turner said Bella’s death is “a tragedy.”

“I came out because it just feels like the right thing to do when this type of thing happens to a young child, an innocent person, and a member of our community. If we could reverse this, all of us would reverse it. But we can’t, we can only give sympathy, and stand and support the family. This is truly a community tragedy.”

Kim Duncombe-Mouthra, a teacher and representative of The Brown Girls Club at Walter Parker Primary School, said Bella’s death touched her deeply.

“I am here to support our little girls. We had supported the family and Baby Bella from when we knew about it and we helped organise the ‘Justice For Bella’ March at the Independence Field (in November).

“And it touched me to know that such a little girl walked this way. I am here to support the family and let them know we are going to keep up the fight. It is not over. We have to make sure other little girls and boys don’t suffer like this.”

She said it is important that individuals stand up and speak out against the abuse of children.

“We want to continue this fight because a lot of people tell me, ‘why you going out there, it ain’t going to do nothing.’ I believe it will help to bring about a change, and that is why I am here to support all the little girls, especially the brown girls of our country.”

Ms Mouthra said Bella’s death will not be in vain. “We have to speak out because it has been happening for years, and generation upon generation; it has been a part of our culture…and we have to stop it and nip it in the bud. We have to break that cycle,” she said.

Police have said Bella’s death in November was due to blunt force trauma.