Teesha

I had met Teesha a couple of years ago at the Ceed Centre Wednesday morning discussion group. She sat at the far end of the room, her back to the wall, and two of her young friends seated on either side of her. They were both huddled in to her for comfort and it was clear that she was their mentor and protector is some way. She laughed often and had a warmth about her that could be felt across the room.

We all sat at the table discussing various subjects as we did every Wednesday morning. The topic of homeless youth came up and I listened to her speak of the lack of support in the system and how we needed better resources for these vulnerable teens. She was extremely knowledgeable, confident in her words, and had everyone's attention as she spoke. I remember being very impressed with her passion. She was inspiring and had a way of opening others eyes to things that they had missed.

Over the next year we saw each other in passing at the Ceed Centre and various events. She would fill me in on the work she was doing and I was always amazed at the amount of energy and drive she had to accomplish so much. She always left an impact when I saw her. What I didn't realize at the time was just exactly what gave her that drive and passion to help these youth.

It was last year as the Elections were getting closer. Some candidates had come to the Ceed Centre to pitch their platform. The room was packed with both candidates and local neighbors. Again Teesha sat with her back to the wall. When it was Teesha's time to speak her question to each candidate was, how would they be an advocate to the homeless youth that needed their support. Most of the candidates had little knowledge of the situation, and their answers seemed more about trying to win votes rather than really dealing with the issue.

Teesha was not impressed. She spoke passionately about the reasons why it was important and why these teens were suffering and needed our help. Her tears started to flow and she began to speak about her time as a homeless youth, of all the abuse she had endured, of how many adults and people of authority had let her down, or worse, exploited and trafficked her. She talked about her Complex PTSD that she now suffers from due to these experiences and I understood now why she always had her back to the wall, it was the only way she felt safe. The room was silent other than Teesha's words. Everyone impacted by her story and pure raw emotion.

I had always been impressed by Teesha, but seeing her that day be both strong and vulnerable as she told her story in the hopes of helping others, I now completely respected her. Now knowing her story, the fact that she had been so abused in the past, but yet had pushed through and become a powerful leader and advocate, I realized that Teesha was someone very special who overcame these many painful obstacles in order to make a positive impact the world.

And she certainly made an impact.

At 22 years old, after many attempts at suicide, she was about to make another attempt to take her own life when she realized that if she did go through with it, that everything she endured would not only have taken away the years that she lived, but also a chance of a better future..

Teesha went back to school and decided to find a way to change the way that society works with youth. She graduated class valedictorian.

Through her commitment to life and dedication to creating a more supportive environment to homeless youth,she started many projects and advocated for many aspects of the cause.

- She was on the Youth Wellness Centre committee in 2014 and 2015, and was part or a team tasked with picking a location out for the centre, which was originally placed at the Greg Moore Youth Centre.

- She worked as a youth services program director at the CEED Centre Society, where She started Blue Door Youth Services , which includes a program called Go Figure, a youth-led support group for youth 13 to 24 years old with anxiety and depression. She provided one-on-one assistance to all the kids in her Go Figure program, which has kept many of those kids alive who are on the edge, A mentor training component teaches community members how to understand, identify and support youth struggling with mental health issues and provides insight into how to best communicate and empower disenfranchised youth. The programs are accessible for youth and don’t have intrusive intake requirements. The group meets twice a month and is a mix of round-table discussions with individual check-ins.

- Last year, Teesha was named Citizen of the Year in the Under 40 category by the Maple Ridge Community Foundation, and was a finalist for the YMCA’s Power of Peace award.

- One of her major missions in life was to start long-term youth housing.

- Sharma’s circle of influence wasn’t just local. She was asked to speak in Dublin, Ireland, and was going to be speaking in Australia in October.

- Most recently she gave a presentation in Montreal on how to support kids who are being trafficked or exploited.“She was inspirational to the youth. She had developed herself where she was so shy, she could not stand up in front of people and she had developed her confidence. She was empowering women and she was empowering girls and she was empowering youth both boys and girls.”

- She was Communications Organizer for The GETI Fest a popular and growing event organized By Gerry Pinel. She would design posters and get the message out, as well as attending monthly round table meetings as a representative of the Blue Door Youth Programs.

- Not many people knew that she was also quietly working with a group of homeless youth that were being badly exploited. Due to the abuse they were suffering they did not trust anyone. Many were suffering extreme PTSD and were afraid all of the time. Teesha managed to gain their trust and would meet them every night on her own time, using her own money to make and bring them food. Often times just holding them to reassure them that they were worth something and that one day they would be safe.

These are just a few things she did and I know there are many more I do not now about.. Mostly her gift was how she empowered youth and impacted everyone around her.

Her colleague Christian Cowley Director at the Ceed Centre has worked closely with her over the past few years and has seen first hand the impact she has had on the community and the individuals around her.

“What her legacy in the community is that she helped literally hundreds of people,” said Christian

Teesha Sharma passed away on February 15th at the age of only 27. She died doing what she believed in most, helping those who needed her. There is an investigation looking in to the events.

It's now March 2019, a few weeks after Teesha”s passing. The usual Wednesday Morning meeting at the Ceed Centre. A handful of us sit at the table. Teesha's chair sits empty against the wall. The discussion goes on, and yet there feels like a big void where Teesha's warmth and laughter used to be. The space feels a little colder with out her and many in the room are still trying to navigate this huge shock. On the black board sits a list written by one of Teesha's dearest friends, it encompasses all of the qualities of Teesha that we miss.

We begin to share what we loved most about her and how she changed our lives.

Gerry shares “ When someone was down she would feed them a little bit of acceptance, and then a little bit more, until they started to feel worthy again. She was so compassionate and giving and it was what was keeping her alive”

Christian shares his memories of her. “ She was so full of pain and yet at the same time was able to give so fully to everyone around her. She felt she needed to be there for everyone else because for most of her life no one was there for her. She was never angry, but definitely not a push over. You couldn't do something at get away with it. Yet she was never judgmental. When someone was doing something she didn't understand, she would ask a lot of questions.”

Katy one of her closest friends shares. “ She embraced every aspect of life. She knew that pain was part of the deal and she lived fully with so much love and laughter but also willing to feel the pain of the human experience. Her life was dedicated to everyone else”

Elizabeth a regular to the Wenesday morning meetings shares " Teesha did so much in her short life. I am 60 and I will never achieve what she did in her short time here at such a young age."

Teesha is gone. Nothing can bring her back. I could be angry at all the pain she suffered in her short life and feel defeated by the injustice of it all. And to be honest sometimes I do. But mostly I am so completely inspired and in awe of who she was and how she chose to live her life. As Christian pointed out "Even after everything that was done to her she never expressed hate". All of her passion was always poured in to helping others and trying to understand. When I think of Teesha I think of someone who had lived the extremes of both sides of life. So much pain and torture, as well as extreme love and support in the past few years when she had finally taken her life back as her own.

She was full of life and love and laughter, her wicked sense of humor and amazing hugs were known all over the community and will be missed by many. Even though her presence is no longer with us, her light shone so brightly that she has left a little part of her in all of us. Her whole life was dedicated to advocating for those too vulnerable to advocate for themselves. Her biggest mission was to set up Safe Housing for homeless youth. To make sure that these youth would not have to endure what she went through.

Teesha may be gone, but her legacy lives on. In the work that she started, in the work that others continue to move forward with in her name. If you would like to learn more about how to help this link will provide resources.

TEESHAS'S LEGACY

Teesha's Legacy

Links To articles detailing Teesha's work

Teesha's work with The Blue Door

Maple Ridge Homeless Youth Count

Teesha's award for Citizen of the Year

Blue Door Youth Services

The Ceed Centre