The July 7 death of a 15-year-old Lusby boy, apparently by suicide, has jarred residents of all ages in his Chesapeake Ranch Estates neighborhood.
On July 18, one of Jaden Charles Simpson’s neighbors — Kim Bowman — hosted a gathering at the community’s garden and field as a way to remember the teenager but also seek ways to prevent any more needless loss of life.
“Anyone who knows me knows that kids are my world,” Bowman said. “When I found out about it, I asked God, ‘What can I do about it?’ The devil is busy, you need to get up and get busier,” was the message Bowman said she felt was the answer to her spiritual lament.
In addition to recruiting deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office and members of the local crisis response team, along with a regional clergyman, Bowman addressed the youth congregating in the sweltering heat last week.
Bowman said any young person dealing with a personal crisis or on the verge of despair only need to go to her house located near the site of the gathering.
“Ring my doorbell,” Bowman said. “If I don’t answer, keep ringing it. I will be with you from beginning until the end.”
"We’ve seen people at their worst,” Sgt. Roscoe Kreps, an 18-year sheriff’s office veteran, told the gathering.
In describing the incidents, such as Simpson’s death, where law enforcement wasn’t able to prevent tragedy, Kreps declared, “We carry that weight with us every day. Myself and my fellow deputies have assisted many people over the course of our careers to help them get through a situation. Reach out to somebody who’s going to listen to you. Call us and say, ‘I need help.’ Everybody goes through ups and downs in their life.”
“We can help in a mental health crisis,” Crystal Samodurov, a nurse with the Calvert Crisis Response team, said. “We are available 24/7. We are mobile If you can’t come to us we can come to your home.”
According to Jaden Simpson’s obituary, which was read to the gathering by Djuana Smith, the teenager was “a vibrant student at Patuxent High School, where he was expected to graduate in 2027. Like many kids his age he had a passion for playing video games, listening to music and hanging out with his friends at the beach and gatherings at the pool. He had a avid love for spending time on the water.”
Charles Simpson III, Jaden’s father, thanked the community members who gathered to remember his son. He urged the young people, to “find God.”
The Rev. John W. Smith III of Jubilee Ministries in St. Mary’s County used the analogy of the caterpillar and the butterfly and how young people can anticipate a metamorphosis as they get older.
“Don’t look at where you are right now. Look at what you can become,” Smith said. “This is not all there is. There is hope.”
If you or someone you know is in need of immediate help, contact Calvert County Behavioral Health’s Calvert Crisis Response team. The Mobile Crisis Team has the ability to respond to locations within Calvert County and can be reached 24/7 at 1-877-467-5628.
Anyone in distress who needs help can text or call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential support.
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