An eight-month-old baby girl named Miracle is still fighting for her life after her mother, Taniyiah Micha’ela Bell, was shot last November while she was eight months pregnant. Tylicia Bell, Miracle’s grandmother and primary caregiver, named her Taniyah Miracle Bell after her mother, who was just 19 years old when she died.
“When I first set eyes on her in the NICU, I just knew that she’s her miracle,” Tylicia told 6ABC Action News. “I knew that God left me something because I lost my only child.”
Key Takeaways:
- Taniyah Bell was eight months pregnant when she was shot, but did not survive.
- Doctors delivered baby Miracle, who was just four pounds at birth, by C-section. Doctors did CPR for 25 minutes to resuscitate her.
- Miracle’s grandmother — who is caring for her 19-month-old granddaughter alone — is raising money for her specialized medical care, as she lives with health issues as a result of the shooting.
- Taniyah Bell’s boyfriend, Kaiheem Williams, has been charged with her murder but not yet convicted.
The Context:
On November 14, 2024, police arrived at the couple’s shared apartment in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, where Taniyah’s boyfriend, Kaiheem Jenelle Williams, rushed them inside, saying, “My baby is shot,” and led them to Bell’s body, lying on the bed. She had been shot in the head. Williams said he blacked out and couldn’t remember anything after being “fried” after watching television with a friend.
Williams was charged with first-degree murder on November 15, 2024. He went to trial in February and will appear again in court on July 22. Williams has not yet been convicted of Taniyah’s murder. Attorney Eugene Gibbons argued at his preliminary hearing that no evidence indicates the shooting was premeditated, and is seeking for the first-degree murder charge to be dismissed.
The Details:
Although unable to save Taniyah’s life after she was shot, doctors at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia delivered her baby girl via C-section.
“When Tanyiah got to the hospital, they got Miracle out within 5 minutes. When they pulled her out, she was gray,” her grandmother Tylicia told 6ABC Action News. “They did CPR on her for 25 minutes, and they were able to get a heartbeat.”
Miracle, who weighed four pounds at birth, now weighs 19 pounds, and is still hospitalized at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, fighting an infection. Due to a serious brain injury from oxygen deprivation at birth, Miracle has cerebral palsy and uses a tracheostomy tube for breathing. Her grandmother calls her a “true fighter.”
“She may never be able to walk. She can’t blink. She can’t smile. She can’t react to us, but the doctors did say she has perfect eyes and perfect ears, so I know she sees the love, hears the love,” Tylicia said, saying Miracle “looks just like” Taniyah.
Tylicia has published a GoFundMe account to raise funds for Miracle’s medical expenses and equipment, as well as for a larger vehicle and home modifications to accommodate her needs.
“As her grandmother and now full-time caregiver, I’ve had to step into a role I never imagined — becoming her nurse, advocate, and voice,” Tylicia wrote. “I haven’t been able to return to work since the tragedy, and I am doing everything I can as the only surviving grandparent. But I cannot do this alone.”
The GoFundMe account has raised more than $4,600, as of July 17. Tylicia writes that Miracle’s “medical journey is complex,” and requires medical care and equipment, largely outside of insurance coverage.
“Despite everything, Miracle continues to show a strength that brings us to tears,” Tylicia wrote. “She is the reason I believe in the power of faith, and that’s why I gave her the name “Miracle.” She is truly a blessing, a fighter, and a living testimony.”
The Bottom Line:
Homicide is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women, exceeding all other causes of maternal death by more than two-fold. Often the baby’s father or another family member targets the expectant mother to eliminate both mom and baby.
Taniya’s tragedy represents one of hundreds of stories, and Miracle’s survival is the miraculous, rare outcome of such horrific actions.
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