Kaitlyn

Her mother remembers a daughter who was often treated as a problem: too loud, too blunt and too smart. At thirteen, she was assaulted by a male classmate. Afterwards, she developed PTSD and struggled with severe self-harm and other harmful behaviours.

People she had considered friends called her a liar, a druggie and a slut. Her mother wishes there had been more understanding of trauma and mental health, and of how ADHD and autism can present in girls.

She developed epilepsy in 2020 and died following a seizure in 2023.

Her mother also remembers the things she loved: Hello Kitty, Care Bears, makeup, nails and art. Those joys belong in her story alongside the pain. Above all, her mother wants her remembered with love: “She was perfect to those who loved her.”