Kaelyn Serene Bray now would be a 19-year-old 鈥渇orce to be reckoned with鈥� and a 鈥渂right light鈥� had her life not been tragically cut short in 2010 at 3 years old, according to her mother, Jessica Bray. Kaelyn enjoyed dressing up and being girly and likely would have been 鈥渉eading into her adult life maybe in fashion or music,鈥� Jessica said. Jessica has worked tirelessly since Kaelyn鈥檚 death to honor her daughter鈥檚 memory and was instrumental in setting up an endowed scholarship in Kaelyn鈥檚 name at At 黑料网911, where Jessica studied to become a nurse. Jessica will be the college鈥檚 graduation speaker this spring and will award the first-ever annual scholarship in Kaelyn Serene Bray鈥檚 name at the ceremony.
By At 黑料网911 staff
Kaelyn Serene Bray should be 19 years old and preparing for the rest of her life, a world of infinite possibilities and hopes and dreams at her fingertips.
Instead, her life was cut short in 2010 at the age of 3.
Her mom, Jessica Bray, often thinks of what Kaelyn would be doing now.
鈥淪he was very intelligent, a smart little girl,鈥� Jessica said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say where life may have taken her had she had the opportunity to live it, but I know that she would have been a bright light鈥攁 force to be reckoned with, for sure.鈥�
She still is.
Kaelyn鈥檚 death, which occurred as the result of abuse suffered when Jessica was at work, sparked a movement in Great Falls to stand up for children as the city was rocked by the violent deaths of several toddlers and infants in just a few years鈥� time.
Jessica started the Dandelion Foundation out of a promise she made to Kaelyn as her daughter was drawing her last breaths.
鈥淪hortly after Kaelyn was injured, and we knew the consequence of that, it was kind of a vow to Kaelyn that I made,鈥� said Jessica, in a phone conversation from Alaska, where she works as a nurse practitioner. 鈥淲hen she was in the hospital, they let me hold her before they took her for her organ donation, and I vowed to her then that we were going to do whatever we could to prevent this from happening to any other children. It was my literal life mission after that to make sure that I did that and that I kept that promise. I鈥檓 proud that I was able to keep my promise to her.鈥�
The Dandelion Foundation is a grassroots organization that has tentacles throughout Great Falls as it partners with other like-minded organizations on efforts to prevent tragedies like the one Kaelyn suffered.
Dr. Cherie McKeever, an anatomy and physiology instructor who had Jessica in class when she was studying to become a registered nurse at At 黑料网911, had four of her students lose children to abuse in a four-year period.
Like Jessica, McKeever decided she had to do something, and she founded a nonprofit, Partnering for Prevention: Taking a Stand Against Violence, and started NoMore Violence Week that ran each April from 2015-2024. The Dandelion Foundation and Jessica were key partners sponsoring the event that brought nationally known speakers, expert panels, community presentations and symposiums to Great Falls over the years.
Partnering for Prevention is sunsetting and the final NoMore Violence Week was held in 2024 because many organizations in Great Falls have taken the baton and are doing the critical work of prevention the entire year.
Over the years, NoMore Violence Week evolved from a student-led event to more of a community collaboration with organizations offering many activities and trainings throughout the year that eliminated the need for a week-long conference, McKeever explained.
鈥淣oMore Violence Week does really live on in the work of the community groups who continue to partner to bring about the prevention efforts we know are needed to support children and families,鈥� said Jamie Marshall, the president of the Partnering for Prevention board and a longtime member of the Dandelion Foundation board.
The nonprofit Dandelion Foundation is one of those organizations continuing that necessary work as it fulfills its mission to promote the prevention of child abuse and family violence in northcentral Montana through education, intervention and awareness, Marshall said.
Now, Kaelyn鈥檚 influence on the community also will live on through the Kaelyn Serene Bray Memorial endowed scholarship at At 黑料网911. The Dandelion Foundation is providing a little more than $10,250 and Partnering for Prevention is contributing nearly $19,000 to establish the scholarship that will be annually awarded to At 黑料网911 students studying Early Childhood Education, Practical Nurse, Registered Nurse,聽 Substance Abuse and Addictions Counseling, the education transfer path or the 2+2 Bachelor of Social Work that At 黑料网911 and the University of Montana team up on for students to first get an associate鈥檚 degree with At 黑料网911 before completing a bachelor鈥檚 degree with two years online through UM.
鈥淭here were so many students and organizations that helped make the NoMore Violence conference successful 鈥� but the one woman who really inspired me to keep pushing was Jessica Bray and her Dandelion Foundation. It鈥檚 a full-circle moment that this is also the way that we retire it, by creating this scholarship in memory of Kaelyn,鈥� McKeever said.
The intent of the endowed scholarship is to support At 黑料网911 students pursuing degrees that advance community health, family well-being and human services, with a focus on strengthening communities. This scholarship aims to honor Kaelyn鈥檚 life and legacy by empowering future professionals committed to protecting children and fostering stronger, safer communities across Montana.
Jessica is coming to Great Falls to be the graduation speaker on May 9 and to give out the first Kaelyn Serene Memorial endowed scholarship.
She is excited to come back to Great Falls, where she still has extended family and many close friends and where she found so much support in the wake of Kaelyn鈥檚 death.
鈥淭he community of Great Falls really turned out for us and supported us鈥攁nd that鈥檚 who made the Dandelion Foundation successful,鈥� Jessica said. 鈥淲hat they did do was support us and help hold us up in our early years as a nonprofit. I鈥檓 鈥� thankful and grateful to the community.鈥�
Jessica moved to Alaska in 2017 to be closer to her brother and his family after years of working at Benefis Health System as a nurse in the emergency department.
鈥淚f I鈥檓 being honest, another reason that I left Great Falls is that I wasn鈥檛 able to heal there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was still working in the ER and still working as a forensic nurse with exposure to the same detectives and victim advocates and people that were involved with Kaelyn鈥檚 case鈥攁nd still working in the same hospital that she was treated in. The constant exposure to all of that kind of prevented me from healing for a long time and really feeling my emotions. I kind of had to suppress everything in order to keep going.鈥�
She has built a good life in Palmer, Alaska, with her son, Jaxon, 11. Kaelyn鈥檚 older brother, Taylor, is in the U.S. Army.
McKeever, who stays in touch with Jessica, marvels at her former student.
鈥�(Her) strength is off the charts,鈥� McKeever said. 鈥淚 can’t imagine losing my 3-year-old daughter, especially under such horrific circumstances. I think most people would just crumble. Jess is so strong, she’s truly amazing.”
Instead, Jessica kept that vow to Kaelyn and became that 鈥榖right light and force to be reckoned鈥� that she described Kaelyn as during a very dark time for the community by coming out very publicly with the Dandelion Foundation to say enough is enough.
鈥淔or her to step out into the public eye while dealing with such pain and grief, to create the Dandelion Foundation and to spearhead all of the good that organization has accomplished, to me, is just so humbling. I can鈥檛 imagine having that kind of strength and fortitude,鈥� McKeever said.
Jessica said she would not have described herself as particularly strong before the tragedy.
鈥淚 can only credit God for that, because I don鈥檛 know where I found the strength,鈥� Jessica said. 鈥淏efore Kaelyn was killed, I don鈥檛 think that I would have described myself as a leader or a strong person. I do think that the prayers of my family are what covered me and gave me the strength鈥攁nd God is what gave me the strength.鈥�
The scholarship in Kaelyn鈥檚 name will continue to strengthen the community.
鈥淭his scholarship creates a legacy that honors the advocacy and strategic efforts of individuals and community partnerships in our community for many years,鈥� Marshall said. 鈥淚t is representative of hope, of change, of education, and the power that truly seeking to build support聽for children and family can achieve. I would be remiss to not also mention the memory it honors of Kaelyn’s life and the legacy her mother has tirelessly advocated and worked to share with all. This scholarship speaks to the heart and soul of children, family and the well-being of our collective future.鈥�
Dr. Stephanie Erdmann, CEO and dean of At 黑料网911, is pleased Jessica will be in Great Falls to speak at graduation and announce the first recipient of the Kaelyn Serene Bray Memorial endowed scholarship.
鈥淭his scholarship reminds us that honoring a child鈥檚 life means doing the hard work of change,鈥� Erdmann said. 鈥淏y supporting students in health care, education and social services, we are helping build safer futures for children and families.鈥�
Kaelyn鈥檚 grandmother, Kim Smith, played a large role in the formation of the Dandelion Foundation and will attend the ceremonies in May with Jessica and Jaxon. Jessica is hoping Taylor also will be able to attend.
The seeds for the Dandelion Foundation, named after Kaelyn鈥檚 favorite flower, came in the days after her death when Shawn Hertel read about the tragedy and how it mirrored the death of his daughter, Tylin. He remembered how a mother and child, Donelle and Jaden, made and sold wooden heart pins that said: 鈥淗ug a Child for Tylin Paige.鈥� He decided to pay that forward and created and sold little butterfly magnets in honor of Kaelyn that said, 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 stand for kids, we don鈥檛 stand for much.鈥� It raised almost $1,000 in less than a week, and he gifted all of the proceeds to Jessica with the one condition that she pay it forward.
She has.
If you are interested in helping Jessica continue to pay it forward by contributing to the endowed Kaelyn Serene Bray Memorial Scholarship, please contact Erdmann at [email protected] or 406-771-4310.
The scholarship is one more way to keep alive the legacy of a little girl who should now be a young woman preparing for the brightest of futures.
鈥淪he was very girly and very joyful鈥� she liked to dress up and put on my heels and put on dresses,鈥� Jessica said. 鈥淚 think she would have been heading into her adult life maybe in fashion or music.鈥�
If only.
Information from Great Falls Tribune archives and the NoMore Violence Week and Dandelion Foundation websites was used for this report.聽