Remembrance, 2 years have passed

It’s often said that Time Heals All Wounds; but for the many of us still missing the laughter, humour and warmth of Laddie, this hasn’t been completely true.

It’s only natural that, just as our love for Laddie stays with us, so does our love.

But time, thankfully, had made the hurt easier to bear by allowing us to step back and look at things from a different, less raw, perspective.

With each passing year, we find that remembering those precious moments with Laddie brings forth more smiles than tears, that the joy he gave us now outshines the gloom of what was taken from us.

This, on the second anniversary of that dark night of July 14, 2021, is another gift from Laddie – the remembrance of his bright, joyful spirit replacing the darkness, injustice, and anger emanating from the tragic events of that night.

For Laddie brought forth an outpouring of love, kindness and support for each other in the days, weeks and months that followed. Peaceful gatherings, poems, songs and the glow of hundreds of lights across Belize reflected our better selves and the promise of a better future for us all.

What a legacy for a slight 14-year-old boy who just wanted to impress the bigger guys on the soccer field, and instead inspired an entire country.

So, on this second anniversary of missing Laddie, we want to gratefully acknowledge and thank all of you who took to the streets and town centres to honour Laddie, support his family, and now continue to celebrate his life. Because of you, on this anniversary, the Foundation in his name can evolve from Justice for Laddie to a commemoration of Laddie’s life and legacy.

It was important, after such a long and difficult campaign to secure justice, that we stepped back for a bit to breathe different air, think different thoughts, and dream new dreams. Rest assured that you’ll be hearing more from Laddie’s Foundation as we continue to come together to support Belize’s young people and work with our youths to help create the kind of world Laddie would have liked to have grown up in.

And so, on this anniversary, we wish to thank all of you who continue to believe in a new,  and better world.