CLEVELAND — There’s a new call from community activists to make it easier for victims of violent crime to get money they said is needed.
They even explained to us why it was important for them to fight for the right to heal.
“Bottom line, I still haven’t been compensated,” said Natasha Lovelace.
A phone call no parent ever wants to receive is a moment in Natasha Lovelace’s life she said she’ll never forget.
“She (her daughter) was still alive which is what I asked, so the first thing in my mind was to get there,” said Lovelace.
In July 2021, Lovelace said her daughter, Makayla Barlow, was shot in the head above her right eye in East Cleveland.
“She asked me if she was dead, and of course I told her no,” said Lovelace in October 2021 when we interviewed her.
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Since then, Lovelace said her daughter is doing better.
“She’s good. She’s a senior in college at Hiram University,” said Lovelace.
Still, Lovelace said her daughter struggles with disabilities after relying on emergency surgery and breathing tubes to survive.
“She’s been through four brain surgeries, so she’s still working through that and honestly thriving through it,” said Lovelace.
As you can imagine, those costs quickly added up.
But Lovelace said the financial support to get reimbursed did not come together, and she said she was even denied.
“We didn’t get any support from victims’ compensation, and a lot of it just is simply really like the red tape,” said Lovelace.
Even Michelle Bell said it was difficult for her to fill out the application after losing her son to gun violence in February 2019; so now, both women are fighting for the right to heal to advocate for changes within the Ohio Victims of Crime Compensation Program, while also educating those who need help.
“The questions for me seemed to be kind of redundant, and I don’t know if it was because of the state of mind I was in,” said Bell. "Once we advocate more and come together, we can address some of these issues."
“I mean this is violent crime, so someone could’ve passed away, someone could be living with a lifelong disability so your whole life changes,” said Lovelace.
To learn more about the Crime Victims Compensation Program, click here.
You can also find more information at M-PAC Cleveland.
