As of January 5th, there had been eight homicides listed in metropolitan Chicago that included three babies. Two of them were 7-month-old Ameer Newell, who was stabbed and scalded in the bathtub and his 2-year-old brother Johntavis, thrown from an 11th-floor window. Both died at the hands of their mother, Aleah.
Aleah Newell, 20, suffers from mental health issues and had reached out for help. Tragically, she didn’t know in which direction to reach.
Adding to the tragedy is that the senseless deaths of these children could have been prevented were it not for the toxic silence that prevails. At a time when information can be spread across the globe in a moment, we have no excuse for children and families in crisis, not knowing where to go for the support they need.
Our latest social anxiety is “headline stress disorder” from our daily pummeling of horror and heartache around the globe that is seemingly beyond our control. But there is much we can control.
Statistics show the average person has over 20 conversations a day, participates in 94 texts, and spends 142 minutes on social media. That alone gives us the power to get a message to those who need it and break the toxic silence that is costing the lives of children.
For example, Shelter’s abuse prevention program Healthy Families is a nationally recognized, evidence-based home visiting program that provides voluntary home visiting services to new parents facing multiple challenges.
Never in the 24 years since it began has a child in the program been taken from their home due to allegations of abuse. Had Aleah Newell known a program like Healthy Families was here to support her, the family’s outcomes may have been different.
Support for children and their families in crisis is only a phone call away if they know the number. It may be too late for Ameer and Johntavis, but please help prevent another unnecessary death by passing along the following information.
For children and families in crisis
You can reach Shelter, Inc. 24-Hours a Day, 365 Days a Year at
847-255-8060
Additional Resources:
Child Welfare League of America
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
Illinois Department of Human Services
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Northwest Suburban Alliance on Domestic Violence
Impact Behavioral Health Partners
Links to other resources are provided for your convenience. Shelter, Inc. has listed these sites as links herein, but these sites are not under the control of Shelter, Inc. Accordingly, Shelter, Inc. makes no representations whatsoever concerning the content or policy of these sites. The inclusion of any link to such sites does not imply endorsement by Shelter, Inc. of the site.