Imani Dia Smith, who once lit up Broadway as Young Nala in The Lion King, has passed away far too soon at just twenty five years old. A star as a child and a light in real life, gone before she ever got the chance to see how big her future could be.
On the morning of December twenty one, authorities were called to her home in Edison, New Jersey, after a report of a stabbing. When they arrived, they found Imani seriously injured and rushed her to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Despite every effort, she was later pronounced deceased. A tragedy, plain and painful.
Her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson Small, age thirty five, has been arrested and charged in connection with her death. According to prosecutors, he now faces charges that include first degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, and multiple weapons offenses. He is currently being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center in North Brunswick while awaiting the outcome of a pretrial detention hearing.
And here is the part that really sits heavy. Imani leaves behind a three year old son. A baby who now has to grow up without his mama.
Her aunt, Kira Helper, created a GoFundMe to help the family survive the unthinkable. She shared that Imani was only twenty five years old and is survived by her son, her parents, her two younger siblings, and a whole village of people who loved her deeply.
Imani had her whole life ahead of her. She was vibrant, loving, and fiercely talented. That is not just family talk. That is the truth.
The fundraiser is meant to support Imani’s parents, Monique Rance Helper and Rawni Helper, who are now grieving their daughter while also stepping in to raise her young son and care for their other children. The funds will help cover funeral and memorial costs, trauma therapy for the family, legal and administrative expenses, and even care for Imani’s beloved dog, Kuro.
As of Wednesday, the family had raised more than forty seven thousand dollars toward their fifty thousand dollar goal. People are showing up, and that matters.
Any contribution helps. And if money is not something you can give, sharing the fundraiser and keeping this family in your thoughts still means everything. Because love, community, and remembering Imani for who she was matter more than anything right now.
Leave a Reply