In Memory of Nyia Page

I read the horrific story of what happened to Nyia Page for the first time about 4 days ago. It has been one of the top 3 stories on CNN.com since last Tuesday. The story didn't get a lot of attention, presumably because it was sharing screentime with stories of the death of Anna Nicole Smith, and the story of the crazy, cross-country driving, diaper wearing astronaut.

More details about Nyia's story became available on Thursday, and I was instantly sickened upon reading them. I have spent the last few days grieving over the tragic, horrifying death of this baby. I have never before mourned the loss of someone I didn't even know for this long. But the moment you become a mother, you instantly become a mother to all children. I honestly felt physically ill for most of yesterday, and based on my symptoms, I'm pretty sure that it's due to the emotional toll that this story has taken on my heart.

I have prayed to the Lord, and asked Him to give me a heart of forgiveness for the person who caused Nyia's death. But each day, more details about the story seem to be released, and I feel the anguish hit me all over again. I feel that if I go ahead and write about Nyia Miangel Page, share her story with those that have not heard about it yet, maybe I will finally feel some peace. Here is the story of an angel who never had a chance.

Nyia Miangel Page hadn't even turned 2 years old yet. She woke up around 12:30am last weekend and went to her parents' room to crawl into bed with them. Her mom took Nyia back to her own bed and laid her down. Some two hours later, Nyia ended up in the hallway near her parents' bedroom playing in front of a mirror. Her father was angered by Nyia still being awake. He began to hit her. He struck Nyia so violently that she hit her head against something hard enough to knock her unconscious. Her father then used a towel to wipe blood from Nyia's head, and proceeded to wrap her in a blanket and place her in the car. He drove to an old abandoned playground a few blocks from their home and left Nyia on the ground. The temperature in Pittsburgh last week didn't even reach 10 degrees in the evenings. She was unconscious but still breathing, according to her father. She was only wearing a diaper and a sweater. She didn't even have any socks or shoes on her little feet.

Her father then drove back to his home, and sometime within the next hour began ranting about his daughter being missing from his home. His neighbors witnessed this and everyone began assuming that Nyia was kidnapped from her home. For two days, about 100 residents in and around this Pittsburgh community began searching for Nyia. She was finally found, two days after her father had left her. According to police reports, Nyia was completely frozen when they found her. This is the part of the story that haunts me day and night: When Nyia was found, she was no longer in her blanket and her tiny footprints were found nearby in the snow. This suggests that she regained consciousness and began wondering around all by herself at night. The image of her screaming for her mommy and daddy, and eventually succumbing to such an awful death as hypothermia are honestly almost too much for my heart to bear.



Nyia would have turned two years old next month. Instead of having a party next month with cake, ice cream, and her favorite cartoon character on balloons, her family watched a casket containing Nyia's body be placed into the ground yesterday. I found a poem written in tribute of Nyia by a gentleman named Gary L Meyers.


Little Footprints in the Snow
I trusted you, your love a disgrace
Seeking only a fathers embrace
Betrayed by blood of my own kind
Conscious lost, its pain I find
From thy own hand, you swell my eye
Alone in snow, just left to die
The love I seek is all a lie
Little life the enormous cost
Imagine; imagine what you’ve lost
I wander, seeking your evil pain
Only cold and fear scream my name
My child’s cries are all in vain
My little footprints prove your shame
I live forever now in heavens glow
Foot prints on golden clouds, not in snow
Punishment by God will be your fate
True love of Jesus, was worth your hate

In the memory of Nyia Miangel Page

Gary L Meyers

Copyright ©2007 Gary L Meyers


Rest in peace, sweet angel and child of God. You are now in heaven, embraced by the love of the Heavenly Father. You will never hurt again. You will now only know eternal joy and happiness.

Sources:
CNN.com
Examiner.com
WPXI.com