Miss Pearl River County, a Miss Mississippi contestant, has a program to help grieving kids
Melah Deen spent a lot of time in the library at Sumrall Middle School in the months following her father's violent death.
She was 13 when her father, Hattiesburg Police Officer Benjamin "BJ" Deen, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on May 9, 2015. He was one of two officers killed in the traffic stop along with Liquori Tate. Deen was 34 and Tate was 25.
"It became her safe space after her dad’s death," her cousin Savannah Sylvest said. "She spent all of her time there."
Six months later, Melah also died from an illness, widening the shadow of grief that fell over the close-knit Deen family. As a child herself, Sylvest didn't know how to handle it.
"I was going through school with a lot of grief and a lot of fear," Sylvest said. I didn't have any resources in my library, at least that I knew of, that were open to me. My parents were at a loss. They didn't know what to do and they were grieving themselves, so it can be very difficult for a child to find help or reach out and get help."
Sylvest, former Miss Pearl River Community College and current Miss Pearl River County, has made it her mission to fill libraries around the state with books to help children like Melah after they too have suffered loss. She will compete in June for the Miss Mississippi title, but more importantly, the competition gives her an opportunity to get her message out to the public.
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She named the book drive Melah's Bookshelf to honor her cousin, and plans to make Sumrall Middle School the first library to carry the books.
"I want to provide more grief education resources for children in need," Sylvest said.
The books, which focus solely on grief, are carefully chosen from a recommended list that is geared toward reaching teens and young children. Sylvest hopes they will provide accessible, easy-to-understand grief education for children who are experiencing loss.
The books are listed on Amazon, where people can order and they will be mailed directly to Sylvest. The link to the book list is on her website, linktr.ee/savannahfaithsylvest.
"I want to get these books in as many schools in Mississippi as possible," she said. "My goal is to put these books in a public setting where the children might be so they can have access to these books and have more resources and the opportunity to learn about grief that they might not normally get."
As Miss Pearl River County, Sylvest said she hopes to use her voice to show the need for access to grief support at the child's level.
"There is at least one child in every classroom who has experienced loss, she said. "It can be difficult on them."
Sylvest said there were no resources she could turn to after the loss of her uncle and cousin. Her parents eventually sent her to counseling, but she still remembers the feeling of being helpless and not knowing what to do.
She said there is a lot of fear in talking to adults, so the books can help young people find ways to sort through their feelings and gain access to other resources that can help them.
"You never know when a child is struggling, so by giving them the resources they need, they can figure out what to do what they have," Sylvest said. "This can become their safe haven."
Miss Mississippi 2001 Becky Pruett Denham is proud of Sylvest's grace, courage and determination.
"I’ve been connected to Savannah’s family since 2017, when I prosecuted the driver who tried to help the convicted felon that murdered HPD Officers Deen and Tate," said Denham, assistant district attorney for Forrest-Perry counties. "The Deen family was working through the grief of losing their beloved BJ and sweet Melah. Our hearts were breaking for their family as we grieved with them.
"To now see Savanah help children process the loss of a loved one through a grief library dedicated in Melah’s name is nothing short of God’s love in action. I couldn’t be more proud of her. This is exactly what the Miss America Organization and Miss Mississippi program want from titleholders. Savannah is making a difference by finding purpose from her pain."
How to help
To buy books for Melah's Bookshelf, visit amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DQ0OLOB4EHUW.
For more information about Savannah Sylvest and her goals, visit linktr.ee/savannahfaithsylvest.
Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Savannah Sylvest hopes to help grieving children through books
