In Loving Memory of Essy

This weekend, our family suffered the significant loss of my 11-year-old niece, Essence M'eleigh Edwards.

Essy was easily the funniest kid in any group of kids. She was witty and never without a joke. As a baby, she danced to the beat of any song as soon as she could bob her head. As she grew older, she grew a little shy, but once she warmed up or got to TikTok, she would dance in a way that reminded you not to forget that her talents were humble yet abundant. Essy was ALWAYS smiling and laughing, but she was a very emotional child, so she could cry at the drop of a dime. Often, we couldn't help but laugh at that. Essy loved paper. LOL. Post it notes, sticky notes, notebooks pens and her favorite kind of paper was the green kind that we all love, money. She was truly a special girl. No one has a voice, a smile, a walk, or a laugh as contagious as hers. Essy enjoyed being a big sister, being around family, playing video games, playing "office" or "teacher", "roasting" her cousins, putting together any outfit that made her feel like she had on "that drip" and she especially loved eating any food that was "bussin' bussin'" (especially her moms cooking.)

The easiest thing to do is find reasons to smile when thinking about Essy and the light she brought to any room. The hardest thing to do is remember that we'll never have her and all of her uniqueness in our presence again—at least not physically.

Throughout the years, we have lost several close relatives, but nothing compares to the loss of a child. Essence was my sister's oldest child and only daughter. Essence was her father's only child.

Essence suffered from asthma and some allergies for her entire life. A child who gave breath to so many of us had to work harder than all of us to breathe, and now she rests easily with the most high.

We are grateful to everyone who has reached out to offer assistance and condolences during this trying time. We ask that you reach out to Essy's aunt Rokeia (Rockka) and not Arkeia. Please give whatever you can and share this post so that Essy's parents, Arkeia Cameron, and Quincy Edwards, can lay Essy to rest without stressing about expenses in their time of grief. Additional funds will be used for living expenses for time off of working.

Thank You