As part of the softball community and family, we all get to celebrate and, sometimes, mourn and grieve together.
A doubly sad tragedy has hit the Atlanta Vipers tragedy in the last week as one of the team’s seniors, Ty’Liyah Hardeman, lost her mother her mother to cancer and, now, will not be able to go to where she hoped for college, but instead will stay closer to home to help take care of her younger siblings, Jamaya (14), Kobe (11) and DaLani (age 4).
Head Coach Jason Holbrook of Atlanta Vipers 18U told us Friday night:
“Ty is 18 and a senior with three younger siblings from a different dad whose father passed away three years ago and her mom passed away last week from breast cancer.”
“Ty was committed to play at Bethune Cookman in Florida,” Coach Holbrook continued, “but with these unexpected new responsibilities she will need to play closer to home here in Georgia so we are trying to help with expenses and these new changes.”
Last week, the Vipers’ leader organized a GoFundMe campaign looking to raise $25K to help Ty and her siblings.
Click HERE to access the GoFundMe campaign
In July of 2020, the Vipers-Holbrook team won the Colorado Sparkler/Fireworks Tennessee Region 18U championship and was playing at that time in honor of another Viper player, South Carolina-commit Aaliyah White, who had lost her brother earlier in the summer in a tragic car accident.
Holbrook said at that time. “She (Aaliyah) found the strength to come to Oklahoma and then Chattanooga as she felt it was what he would have wanted her to do. All the players wore a blue ribbon with his number in their hair to help show support for her and her family during this tragic time.”
Below is the FaceBook post and GoFundMe text regarding the campaign for Ty and her family as created by Holbrook and the Vipers’ program.
We encourage everyone to keep Ty and her family in their thoughts and prayers and help with the GoFundMe campaign as is possible.
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
Everyone please take a moment and read this story. Ty has played for me the past couple of years and is a wonderful…
Posted by Jason Holbrook on Friday, January 29, 2021
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Help Ty & her siblings after the loss of their mom
by Coach Jason Holbrook
Ty’Liyah (Ty) has been a standout on our Atlanta Vipers-Holbrook softball team for three years. She has worked tirelessly to earn the opportunity to play collegiate softball. Just recently, Ty committed to play Division I softball at Bethune–Cookman University (BCU), located in Daytona Beach, Fl.
She was excited to be a part of the 2021 incoming class next fall. Her family, coaches, teammates, and especially her mother, Shakeila Bell (a former softball payer), couldn’t have been prouder of Ty.
Ty’s mom, Shakeila, a single mom, cherished her children and especially loved watching them in their extra-curricular activities. She always displayed a beautiful smile on the outside, while shaking on the inside, knowing how hard it was to be successful all the time. She couldn’t wait to see Ty compete in college.
Just last week, however, Ty learned that her mother had breast cancer and within one short week, she and her three younger siblings lost their mom to the evil cancer.
The future is unknown now for Ty and her young siblings, but Ty does know she cannot attend Bethune Cookman and leave her siblings behind.
We are currently searching for a more local college for Ty so she can also be available to her siblings. The next several days/ weeks/months will be tremendously difficult as Ty and her siblings place their mom in her final resting place and begin to plan the future without her.
Here is a video of Ty published last September showing her skills on the field:
The GoFundMe is just a small piece of the rebuilding.
We do not know the specific needs for Ty and her siblings yet, but the list of things this young family will need is substantial. Ty is only 18-years-old and her siblings are 14, 11, and 4.
Please also keep this family in your daily prayers. We will update this page as we become aware of the specific needs for this young family.
*****
Ms. Shakelia Bell “Queakie” of Covington, GA entered eternal rest on January 21, 2021. The Celebration of Life for her was held Thursday, January 28, 2021, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Covington, Georgia.
Here is the YouTube video of that tribute which has already received over 5,000 views…
