BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) – Traniya Ward had a fighting spirit, despite the severity of the burns that covered the 12-year-old’s body.
Her family spoke to WLOX as they grieve the girl who died recently.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” Traniya’s stepfather, Roderick Starks, said.
A fire in March 2024 destroyed the family’s apartment.
Starks, Traniya and her brother, Tomereo Ward, were hospitalized as result of the fire.
Tomereo was 10 years old when he suffered third-degree burns to half his body.
Traniya was worse off; approximately 80% of her body was covered in severe burns.
Traniya was placed in intensive care at a hospital in Galveston, Texas. Her grandmother, Miko Butler, was by her side and refused to leave.
“I told her I would never leave her by herself,” Miko Butler said during an October 2024 interview. “It seemed like she was progressing because she had a lot of great days. She was talking a lot. She would look at me and smile, and you know, it was just good to hear her voice.”
Traniya set a goal: she wanted to get out of the hospital bed by her birthday on Oct. 24.
Despite her fighting spirit, Starks said she remained bedridden as her family visited her.
“I’d say Tomereo handled it better than anybody,” Starks said. “He had more strength than anyone in the room.”
The family has seen an outpouring of support that helped cover medical bills and find a new home to live in.
“Most of the people who did the majority of the help, I didn’t even know them,” Starks explained. “We got a lot of help from the Free Masons of Gulfport and a few people remained anonymous.”
“It meant everything to us,” Miko Butler added. “To be going through something, you’re constantly asking and asking, but when the video aired, I think it really touched a lot of people.”
After the new year, Traniya’s condition worsened. She had been through more than 60 surgeries.
Despite the hospital staff’s best efforts, the 12-year-old was losing too much blood, her heart became weak and her young, tired body was shutting down.
Miko Butler kept her promise to her granddaughter; she never left her side.
“I was laying with her, kissing her, rubbing her head,” Miko Butler recalled. “I was talking to her, praying with her. I was not wanting her to leave by herself. I was there, right there with her until her heart stopped.”
On the morning of Jan. 20, Starks got the phone call from his mother-in-law: Traniya died from her injuries.
Traniya’s mother, Tyneshia Butler, took the news hard.
“She’s dealing with it the best you can think a mom should,” Starks said. “The last two days since Miko has been home, we’ve been sitting around having conversations, but it’s still going to be a long road ahead because it doesn’t seem real.”
Tomereo was also struck by the news.
“He’s very strong,” Miko Butler said about her grandson. “He’s actually the one we’re getting strength from because he walks around so unbothered. He has his own way of grieving. He’ll tell me, ‘I miss my sister, I miss my sister.’”
As the family continues to grieve, they are finding comfort in photos and videos of Traniya. They are also proud that the young girl left such an impression on the Galveston hospital staff.
“She made an impact on the hospital, especially the ICU unit,” Miko Butler explained. “They talk about how she’s made them become better doctors, nurses, psychologists. She challenged everybody and brought out the greater in them, and they didn’t even see it coming. She will always be remembered there. Always.”
Funeral arrangements have been made for Traniya in McComb, Mississippi.
A GoFundMe was set up to help the family with funeral expenses.
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