ST. LOUIS — This story began tragically back in 2017 on Christmas Eve, where Benita Brown's pregnant daughter, Roneisha Calvin, faced a life-altering car accident.
Sadly, Calvin did not survive, and the chaos of an emergency C-section left her son's name unrecorded.
"When we got down there, they were still cutting the car up, which led to my daughter fighting for her life," said Brown.
The absence of a birth certificate became a bureaucratic roadblock for Brown, preventing her from enrolling her grandson in school and daycare.
"In essence, it was in limbo. It was never completed. And the state never received information from a hospital that they normally would," Michael Butler, Recorder of Deeds City of St. Louis, said. "Our office handles all of the important documents for the city. So birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses."
Brown became an embodiment of persistence for her grandson. Typically, City Hall sees people come in and out within 30 minutes, but for Brown it became a five-year odyssey that needed Aunya Hall's, Assistant Supervisor of the Recorder's Assistant Center, expertise.
Thus began a new routine for Brown.
Once a month, she found solace at City Hall, where Hall and the Recorder of Deeds office extended a helping hand.
"You don't give up on somebody so determined. So I saw her determination and I wanted to give her mine," said Hall. As people come to navigate the maze of official records "I'm here to make sure everything goes smoothly, that they have somebody to turn to," Hall said.
"It was like doors were closing, closing, closing, closing," said Brown. "My determination was for my grandson to have a name. He walked around for five years basically as a ghost."
Finally, a few weeks ago when Brown walked into the Recorder's office with her grandson Hall delivered long-awaited good news—a birth certificate with the name "Ra'Sean."
Joyously Brown said, "Five years!."
Now, armed with a new name, Ra'Sean embraces opportunities, including school, with a perpetual smile and a penchant for silliness.
"It's hard to describe, but it was a well-lifted weight off of you. Like holding something down, and when you receive a piece of paper that you've been waiting five years for, you can't do anything but shout."
As Benita expresses gratitude for Hall and the Recorder's Office, the story leaves us with a powerful lesson: With assistance and persistence, the true significance of the question emerges—What's in a name?
Making a Difference
Is someone in your community making a difference? Text us at 314-425-5355 or email us at tips@ksdk.com. See more stories of people Making a Difference here.