“Toddlers & Tiaras” star Kailia Posey ordered a heartfelt gift for her mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman, before taking her own life at the age of 16 earlier this month.
The late pageant princess arranged for a special blanket she found on TikTok to be delivered to her mom’s home two weeks after she committed suicide, Gatterman revealed to E! News.
“Dear Mom, even when I’m not close by, I want you to know I love and appreciate you. Always. Wrap yourself up in this and consider it a big hug. I love you,” the blanket reads, according to Posey’s grieving mother.
Gatterman went on to thank the public for their condolences while reminding young followers to speak up if they’re ever feeling hopeless enough to contemplate suicide.
“This is the worst thing a mother can go through. Parents who have teenagers that have phones, check their phones,” she advised. “And if you’re struggling, talk to your parents. They’re not judging you.”
She added, “They’re going to get you the help that you need, but we need to know what you need in order to get the help you need. Don’t keep it inside.”
Posey arranged to have a customized blanket mailed to her mother two weeks after her death.kailiaposey/InstagramGatterman first shared the news of her daughter’s passing via Facebook on May 2.
“I don’t have words or any thoughts,” she wrote at the time. “A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever.”
Days later, Posey’s family released a statement confirming the young reality star took her own life.
“Although she was an accomplished teenager with a bright future ahead of her, unfortunately in one impetuous moment, she made the rash decision to end her earthly life,” the family shared.
Posey competed in pageants for much of her life. kailiaposey/InstagramPosey appeared in at least two episodes of TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras,” making her debut in 2012 when she was just 5 years old. Her debut appearance on the reality show produced a popular GIF of the adorable toddler grinning for the confessional camera.
She continued to compete up until her passing, finishing as runner-up in the Miss Washington Teen USA Pageant in February.
