Rose basketball highlights
Student copes with tragedy through faith
MON.| 1-04-21 | FEATURES
2020 has the reputation of being one of the most difficult years yet. Many individuals have struggled through hardships throughout this year, specifically one member of the Rose community.
Senior McKyrah Brown is an active participant in many extra curriculars around Rose. Link Crew, SGA, Spanish club, Health Science Academy and the Sugar and Spice Club are just some of many. She spends the majority of her free time working to support these clubs and all the activities they participate in. These extra curriculars not only helped Brown branch out and make new friends, but also gave her the support she needed when faced with hardship.
Earlier this year, Brown’s cousin, David Bellamy, contracted COVID-19 in early June. At the young age of 40 in early July, Bellamy lost his fight against the virus. Brown and her cousin were always extremely close, even when she was just a little girl.
“We all felt very upset because the last time that we really saw him we were unaware that that was going to be the last time,” Brown said. “It was even worse knowing we wouldn’t be able to see his funeral because his body had to be cremated.”
Brown and her cousin spent valuable time together at every family gathering, and they spent as much time as they could focusing on their faith.
“He would always come down to my mom’s side of the family anytime we would have any kind of family reunion,” Brown said. “We would have Bible studies together while he would lead prayers for the families.”
Although this year has faced Brown with a challenging hardship to overcome, she copes through her faith. Brown and her family stayed strong despite the loss of their loved one and continue to live everyday honoring David Bellamy as much as possible.
“Staying together and praying helped us know that God always had us in His hands,” Brown said. “That’s really what kept us going.”
Even with this loss, Brown has been motivated to persevere and has found many new ways to reach out and find joy in activities and friends.
“I’m not typically someone who goes out of their way to make friends because I consider myself an introvert,” Brown said. “This year I was able to create more friendships with people that I
Graphic by Murphy Fisher
didn’t know before.”
Brown and her family have tried their best to follow COVID-19 protocols. They always remember to wear their mask whenever they leave the house, as well as spray their clothing down with lysol when returning the house to kill off any lingering bacteria.
“Ever since we’ve heard more about people getting [the virus],everyone has been staying in the house; we even order groceries online,” Brown said. “We don’t go out very often and we don’t go to restaurants and sit down.”
Although 2020 has been a very challenging year for Brown and her family, they have relied on their faith, friends and family to help them cope with the loss. The Brown family encourages everyone to continue following COVID-19 protocols in order to keep everyone safe and healthy.
