Melisha Morganna Gibson was four years old in October of 1976 when she died a tragic death by child abuse. The community of Cleveland was shocked, appalled and deeply saddened that this could happen in such a close-knit community.
The case immediately gained the attention from national television and newswire services. The New Yorker Magazine also covered the story. The community took action and within months the child abuse laws in the state of Tennessee and the rest of the nation changed.
“CASA is organizing a walk in Melisha Gibson’s honor so that her short life can be remembered and in the hope that the laws of child abuse will continue to become better and stronger because of her," said Suzanne Wisdom, CASA of Bradley County’s founding director. "We were very touched by the many people who contacted us and supported this event last year."
The walk will be held on the anniversary of Melisha’s death, Thursday, Oct. 13. Check-in will start at 6 p.m. at the Greenway on Raider Drive. The walk will start at 7 p.m. and end at the Prayer Garden at Keith and 25th Streets.
The CASA program trains volunteers from the community. After training, the volunteer is appointed by a juvenile court judge to investigate and determine the needs of abused and neglected children who are petitioned into the court system. The CASA volunteer makes independent recommendations to the court for services, which focus on the needs of the child and advocates for a permanent and safe home for each child within the shortest time possible. Since 2008, CASA of Bradley County has been the voice for over 200 children in the court system.
Every year, thousands of children in Tennessee are involved in courts cases although not one of them committed a single crime. Many of these children are the victims of child abuse, abandonment or neglect. Some face life threatening circumstances at home, others are ignored and neglected by the very people who should care most about them. These children are thrust into a judicial system that is overwhelming even to many adults. Too often, their small voices go unheard by the courts and state agencies.