Family, friends of the family, and strangers gathered to celebrate a life lost too soon at Nathanael Greene Park.
Deborah Conkiln was the two-month-old's caretaker. She called him her "little prince" and helped to organize his birthday party. Instead of a happy one-year-old eating cake, there was an empty highchair.
"I held him the night he was born and I was there holding his hand when the doctors were trying to save him. And then I held him after they called his time of death. That is when I promised him, with every part of me, I'm sorry that my voice wasn't loud enough for you, but I would make sure it would be for any other child," said Conkiln. "I don't want to see another family go through this, nobody should have to, nobody should have to put a little bitty casket in the ground."
Pamphlets and fliers explaining the dangers of child abuse lined covered tables, while streamers hung from the ceiling of the pavilion. Kids ran around the park, getting their face painted and knocking down pinatas, while members of Bikers Against Child Abuse looked on.
"Missouri is the fifth worst state in the nation for child abuse and in 2009, there were 113 children in the state of Missouri who died due to abuse and neglect and they died at the hands of their caregivers. This is an unacceptable statistic," explained Richard "Mopar" Gold, spokesperson for Bikers Against Child Abuse. "Greene county is the worst county in the state. Government estimates are that as many as 70% of the children in Greene County will suffer some form of abuse before the age of 18."
The mission of Bikers Against Child Abuse, or B.A.C.A is to empower abused children to not be afraid of their world or abuser. They typically provide comfort to children and help ready them to stand trial.
Click here for a link to the B.A.C.A. international website.
Missouri State Representative Sara Lampe knows all too well the problem of child abuse. As a former principle and current legislator, she's noticed a disturbing trend in the Ozarks.
"Sometimes when we grow up in the Ozarks, we think we have this attitude. You do your thing, I'll do mine. I don't want to be in your business. But the reality is, if we care about kids, we may need to look out for the children around us. That means being a good neighbor, that means being a good community person as well," said Lampe.
Andrea Burns helped to organize Kaiden's event. She is a mother of two and close friend of Conkiln.
"We need to come together as a community; we need to protect those children. It's our job, because they can't take care of themselves. We have to do it," Burns said. "We want to make people aware that it happens a lot more than you know. And for all you know, it could be your neighbor, you just never know and you just need to keep your eyes open to it. These children don't have to die, they don't have to suffer, it can be prevented."
Gold had a strong message, for anyone who may be tempted to stay silent.
"Report these crimes, these crimes are a tragedy. They are a crime against our society and a crime against our children. And our children are our hope for a better future. Help us break these chains of abuse. Help us intervene, help us put an end to child abuse," he said.
For Conkiln, the fight for Kaiden will be a fight for all children.
"I won't ever give up the fight for him, he won't die in vain," she said, her eyes brimming with tears. "I won't ever let him become just another number. He's Kaiden James."
Many family members plan to attend Kaiden's grave on his birthday Monday.
Meanwhile Kaiden's mother, Light, is scheduled for a pretrial conference at 9 a.m. on September 9. She is charged with felony second degree murder.
"I lost two people that day. And a lot of people don't realize that. I lost my grandson that day and I lost my daughter that day," said Light's mother.
If you suspect someone is being abused, call 911 and contact the child abuse hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD. The hotline is open 24 hours a day and tipsters can remain anonymous.
