Page 73 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2023

story courtesy of Dr. Debra P. Moore
On August 6, 2021, eight-year-old Kingston Taylor and his family celebrated the life and laid to eternal rest his 26-year-old uncle, Alfred L. Martin, III, affectionally known as Trey. It was a devastating loss for the entire Martin family and friends.
His homecoming celebration ended when mourners released white and special gold foil letter helium-filled balloons spelling “Trey” into the sky above them in remembrance of their loved one. As the family released their balloons, young Kingston, holding the twine attached to the letter “Y,” raised his voice in loud protest proclaiming, “These balloons can harm and kill a lot of sea turtles!”
Indeed, Kingston was absolutely right. Every single day, balloons harm and kill endangered sea turtles in our oceans and the Gulf of Mexico where they live freely, swimming, eating, and trying to survive.
As I observed the balloon release, I held back my own screaming, internal “no!” I recognized what devastation plastic, especially balloons, could do to some of the most beautiful
sea creatures in our oceans. As a veterinarian and assistant clinical professor at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, which cares for sea turtles and dolphins at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) in Gulfport, it hurt me deeply to observe the balloon release.
I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to my family because I knew they were suffering the loss of Trey, but Kingston had the courage to say something out loud and clear through the pain and suffering of his own great loss. I talked with Kingston that day and told him how proud I was of him to speak up for what was right. I also promised him that he would have the
opportunity to help release a real live sea turtle one day.
On June 18, 2022, that promise was fulfilled when Kingston
and his family traveled to Gulfport to release the most critically endangered sea turtle in the world, the Kemp’s ridley. Kingston’s special sea turtle had been rescued in New England from frigidly cold waters due to cold stunning, then travelled by plane to Mississippi to be rehabilitated, and finally returned home to the Gulf of Mexico.
Kingston had the opportunity to see where his special
turtle, the smallest of all seven sea turtles in the world, was rehabilitated. He also carried “Aegis” (meaning armor or shield), which he affectionately named, on the beach to place back in the warm waters of the Gulf and to say goodbye to his special friend. He wanted to make sure that the turtle survived and continued to live a very long life.
Later that day, when asked by his grandfather Alfred what one word Kingston would use to summarize his day, he answered as only Kingston could: “Accomplished.”
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
photo courtesy of Dr. Debra P. Moore
Kingston gets dolphin kiss from Bo at IMMS.
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