Jaida’s Promise – A Legacy of Love, Strength, and Celebration

From the Host:

January 5th is a day we will never forget. When Jaida passed, our family was heartbroken. One could never imagine the tremendous amount of grief would experience that day and the days going forward. Life as we knew it would never, ever be the same. As the days slowly dredged on, we knew we had to find a way to honor Jaida’s memory in a way that truly reflected her love for people and her passion for education. That’s how the Jaida Payne Memorial Fund at Prairie View A&M University was created— a lasting tribute to her impact and dedication. Her friend and classmate Trevonn also took it upon himself to ensure her legacy lived on, establishing the Jaida Payne Memorial Fund at Gannon University in her honor. These scholarships are more than just financial support; they are symbols of Jaida’s relentless spirit, her drive, and the love she poured into everyone she met.

Jaida and I formed a different kind of bond over the years. We had a few disagreements like most siblings do. As the oldest, I've always felt like it was my job to keep it 100% while still being objective - I've never been the pick-a-side type. My goal has always been to resolve. But I promised my baby sis that I would never lead her wrong, never correct her out of anger or spite, but only out of love and accountability. I also promised her that I would respect her and listen with ears that were no longer from my vantage point of her as "the baby," but of her as a woman. Once in a conversation surrounding other people's sibling rivalries and jealousy, I promised my baby sister that would never be me. I promised her that I've only ever wanted to see her and our other siblings win at life. My upbringing was different from theirs and I loved that for them. I never wanted her, or any of them to experience even a second of the trauma that I had to endure. So, my promise to Jaida was that I would always, always be her cheerleader. And from that day forward, she became my best friend. Now, I know she had many besties, but for me - she was it!

Jaida Payne, as I affectionately always called her - in the way that she said it as a child - she was a firecracker from the start. I’ll never forget coming home from work when she was a toddler and catching her breaking out of the front door, trying to run down the street because she had snatched her diaper off and did not want our mom to catch her — not once, but multiple times! How she managed to escape I could never understand! Or how she would dance on the kitchen counter like it was her personal stage, living life without a care. She loved dogs so much that she adopted an imaginary dog named Mufasa as a kid, and when she finally got a real dog, Taz, as her undergrad graduation gift, he became her baby.

Jaida was beautiful, radiant, hilarious, and had the biggest heart. She was the type of person who loved hard, who had countless friends, and who made everyone feel like they mattered. She was the life of the party, and she absolutely loved celebrating her birthday. That’s why this event—Party in Purple—is so fitting. It’s a night of joy, movement, and community, just the way she would have wanted.

Jaida had dreams bigger than most. After battling transverse myelitis—a condition that left her temporarily paralyzed for a month, but still affected her long-term —she decided to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy to help others facing similar struggles. Only 20% of people regain full functioning after experiencing this condition, and even those who do can suffer neurological effects. Jaida fought through it. Most people never knew how much it still affected her, but she persevered anyway, because that’s just who she was. She completed her undergraduate degree at Prairie View A&M University, and at the time of her passing, she was in the midst of achieving her doctorate at Gannon University. This year would have been the year she received her doctorate, making this a particularly special donation year.

When Jaida was younger, I always envisioned hosting a fundraiser for her battle with transverse myelitis. Regretfully, I never got the chance to make it happen while she was here. But after she looked at me one day and told me, “You really are a good person for doing that. I'm proud of you” following an event I hosted for Paralympian Lex Gillette, I knew deep down that I would always be called to honor her through giving back. This event is that promise fulfilled.

Last year, we were able to raise over $10,000 in her honor. This year, with two scholarships to fund—one at Prairie View A&M and one at Gannon University—our goal is to surpass that amount and continue making a difference in her name.

Jaida once protected me from harm, and there was a time that I did the same for her. This party is my thank you. It’s my dedication to her love, her protection, and the impact she had on all of us. My family and I miss her more than words can express, but we are determined to honor her in a way that adds value to the lives of others—because that’s exactly what she did for so many.

Join us for Jaida’s Promise Party – A Party in Purple Event, and let’s dance, celebrate, and keep her promise alive.

#JaidasPromise #PartyInPurple #DanceForACause #ForJaida #LLJP #MySistersKeeper #BirthdayGift4Jaida

Jaida's Promise Party

By OneVLG Arts & Cultural Center

Jaida's Promise Party

A Party in Purple Event

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