Young, Black & Gifted
By: Lisa Rose
The path that led 6-year-old LaNiyah Bailey to become a child author began with cruel taunts. LaNiyah Bailey said she was called “fat, fat-elephant and some kids told me I looked like I was having a baby and that I walked funny.
“Sometimes it made me feel like I really was what they said,” recalled the Chicago kindergartener. “It made me feel really sad and feel like crying everyday. I never wanted to go out the house. I didn’t say anything back at first because I was afraid that I would get into trouble.
Eventually, “I did tell my mom and dad,” she said.
But LaNiyah wasn’t big because she was sitting on the couch all day eating cookies or french fries.
“We knew something was wrong when she was consuming over 64 ounces of fluid every day and still was thirsty, “said LaNiyah’s mother, LaToya White. “She was continually constipated and her belly was distended when she was just 2 years old.”
The family saw “quite a few doctors who never seemed to think that there was something wrong,” White said. “They only looked at the surface and said well she lives in an urban area so we’ll assume mom and dad don’t provide a healthy lifestyle.
“Until we took matters into our own hands we never got answers,” White said, adding her daughter has been diagnosed with everything from “polydypsia, polyuria, and diabetes-insipidus” to severe constipation. Currently, her daughter is only being medically treated for constipation. “But, our course of treatment from the beginning has always been that of a healthier lifestyle.”
LaNiyah continues to be tested for various hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders and other obesity-onset illnesses. Regardless of what the test results find, their answers will not ease the ache in LaNiyah’s heart over the childhood bullying.
So when doctors are unable to stop the teasing and make LaNiyah feel better about herself, “my mom, dad, grandma, aunts, cousins and entire family have been my help,” said the little girl. “They always tell me how I am a princess and how beautiful I am. And that they love me no matter what anyone says.”
With her family’s support, LaNiyah gained enough strength to fight back – this time by using words in a positive way, as the author of her own book, entitled Not Fat Because I Wanna Be.
“When I felt like enough was enough I decided to stand up for myself and do something about it,” she said.
Continue to the full article: emPower News Magazine
“Sometimes it made me feel like I really was what they said,” recalled the Chicago kindergartener. “It made me feel really sad and feel like crying everyday. I never wanted to go out the house. I didn’t say anything back at first because I was afraid that I would get into trouble.
Eventually, “I did tell my mom and dad,” she said.
But LaNiyah wasn’t big because she was sitting on the couch all day eating cookies or french fries.
“We knew something was wrong when she was consuming over 64 ounces of fluid every day and still was thirsty, “said LaNiyah’s mother, LaToya White. “She was continually constipated and her belly was distended when she was just 2 years old.”
The family saw “quite a few doctors who never seemed to think that there was something wrong,” White said. “They only looked at the surface and said well she lives in an urban area so we’ll assume mom and dad don’t provide a healthy lifestyle.
“Until we took matters into our own hands we never got answers,” White said, adding her daughter has been diagnosed with everything from “polydypsia, polyuria, and diabetes-insipidus” to severe constipation. Currently, her daughter is only being medically treated for constipation. “But, our course of treatment from the beginning has always been that of a healthier lifestyle.”
LaNiyah continues to be tested for various hormonal imbalances, metabolic disorders and other obesity-onset illnesses. Regardless of what the test results find, their answers will not ease the ache in LaNiyah’s heart over the childhood bullying.
So when doctors are unable to stop the teasing and make LaNiyah feel better about herself, “my mom, dad, grandma, aunts, cousins and entire family have been my help,” said the little girl. “They always tell me how I am a princess and how beautiful I am. And that they love me no matter what anyone says.”
With her family’s support, LaNiyah gained enough strength to fight back – this time by using words in a positive way, as the author of her own book, entitled Not Fat Because I Wanna Be.
“When I felt like enough was enough I decided to stand up for myself and do something about it,” she said.
Continue to the full article: emPower News Magazine
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