Online campaign raises funds for 9-year-old gun violence victim

By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer

A fundraiser is online for the heroic 9-year-old Ja’Leai Brazile, who was shot in Hollygrove while protecting two toddlers.

During a family gathering on Cambronne Street on August 1, two uninvited men showed up and an altercation broke out. One of the men started shooting at the house. Ja’Leai and two other children were inside. Ja’Leai pushed one 2-year-old out of harm’s way and picked up another in her arms when a bullet shattered bones in her right leg.

“It’s still unreal. I literally woke up and thought it was a nightmare,” Janneh Brazile, Ja’Leai’s mother, told WVUE Fox 8 News’ Natasha Robin. “She’s traumatized right now… She’s had to go through surgery already. She’s had a blood transfusion. She’s in a lot of pain.”

Janneh Brazile told Fox 8 that Ja’Leai asked during the ambulance ride if she would still be able to attend her school play and go to church on Sunday.

According to the fundraiser page (GoFundMe.com/support-for-jaleai) organized by Georgia Wilson, Ja’Leai underwent a successful surgery to remove the bullet and reconstruct her bones using rods and plates. For approximately three months, she will be confined to a wheelchair. Once her bones heal, she will need to undergo physical therapy. During the recovery period, Janneh Brazile will have to transition from busy professional to full-time caregiver. The fundraiser will cover the costs of any medical fees not covered by insurance and any necessary wheelchair modifications to the Brazile home.

The page describes Ja’Leai, a student at Lycée Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans, as “one of the sweetest kids we’ve been blessed to know.” She is fluent in French, loves to collect rocks and gems, and enjoys spending time with her family.

Yoon Lee, Ja’Leai’s 3rd grade English teacher at Lycée Francais, said Ja’Leai was an excellent, kind-hearted student who asked a lot of questions and always gave her best effort. She would routinely assist with classroom tasks like collecting students’ lunch cards and returning them to Lee’s desk.

“It saddens me terribly that she won’t be able to start the school year with her friends,” said Lee. “Hearing that Ja’Leai was a victim of gun violence shocked me to my core… She’s an innocent child.”

In her interview with Fox 8, Janneh Brazile mentioned the event almost prompted her oldest daughter to stay in New Orleans instead of leaving for college as she was scheduled to do later in August.

“I said, ‘Nope, you’re not staying. You’ve got to go because this violence has got to stop.’ It’s senseless. Innocent kids and innocent people are being killed and shot for nothing,” Janneh Brazile told Fox 8.

On Aug. 9, Wilson posted an update to the fundraiser page that said Janneh Brazile was “blown away” by the generosity people have shown so far. Ja’Leai is currently facing her first round of prescriptions that are not covered by her insurance. At the time this story was written, the GoFundMe campaign had raised $7,270 of its $7,500 goal.

This article originally published in the August 19, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.