Najmah Nash, the mother of six-year-old Fajr Atiya Williams, a disabled student, is finally speaking out about how her daughter’s death has affected her and is now making demands so something similar doesn’t happen to another child.
Fajr was born with a rare chromosomal disorder characterized by developmental and learning disabilities. The condition, called Emmanuel syndrome, stunts a person’s growth and development.
Because of her condition, Fajr used a wheelchair, even on the bus, on her way to school. On one of these trips, the wheelchair became the place where she took her final breaths.Fajr is unable to speak because of her condition, so when her school bus went over a rough patch of road on the route in July, and she slumped down in her chair, she was unable to call for help, and nobody noticed anything was amiss until it was too late.
What Happened to Fajr?
As she sat in her wheelchair on her way to school like any other weekday, the bus drove over a rough patch of road, and Fajr slumped in her wheelchair. This caused the harnesses in her wheelchair to become too tight around her throat and shoulders and restrict her airways.
As Fajr could not talk, she could not get the attention of the bus monitor, 27-year-old Amanda Davila, sitting toward the front of the bus with her earphones in, focusing on her cell phone.
Not only were Miss Davila’s actions violating policy, but while she concentrated on her phone, little Fajr suffocated and passed away. Now, Fajr’s mother is calling on the school board to find out how to prevent the same from happening to another child.
Najmah Nash talked about how she felt regarding the policies being ignored and her daughter being the victim, saying:
“My daughter’s passing could have and should have been prevented. This was purely due to neglect and policies and procedures being disregarded.”
Nash has joined forces with other parents with children with disabilities to work with the school board to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. She wants the world to know that she will never back down or stop fighting for change. Nash said about her daughter, “She was just a vibrant kid; she was so happy. Her eyes were big and brown. And she would just draw you in just by looking at her.”
Nash has said that she wants change to come swiftly because she does not like any other parent to feel how she did during this difficult time. Although her daughter was nonverbal, Nash said she felt Fajr communicated through her beautiful, big brown eyes.
Davila Was Charged for Her Negligence
The bus monitor on duty the morning that Fajr passed away has now been charged with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child on July 20, 2023.
The school district superintendent, John Ravally, shared his thoughts shortly after Fajr passed, saying:
“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with this student’s family and friends.”