For close to six months, Cileana Taylor, 22, lay in a hospital bed in a coma and on life support.
She suffered from a severe head trauma due to an alleged assault by her boyfriend, Jordan Morin, 23, who is charged with aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm.
Savannah is Cileana’s older sister. She said the last time she spoke with her was Sept. 2 at the pow wow grounds in Curve Lake, on the water’s edge.
“My son is into frogs loves catching frogs and Cileana loves doing that,” she said. “So we thought it would be best to come down and we spent the day catching frogs and we were over by the Marsh having a great day, we were going to the petting zoo the next day.”
That trip to the petting zoo never happened.
The next day Cileana went to the hospital in a coma.
“She was having seizures nonstop for two days and the doctor said that she may not be the same person she was the day before,” Savannah said.
The family kept praying that she would come out of it, but that didn’t happen.
On Feb. 26, the difficult decision was made to remove her from life support.
“I think it was more painful seeing her suffering, but the day that she crossed over and went to the spirit world was a weight lifted and it was just, she’s not suffering anymore, she’s no longer in pain,” Savannah said.
Now the family wants the Peterborough Police Services to increase Morins charges to homicide.
It’s one thing Savannah can do for her little sister is find justice, since she no longer has a voice.
“I am four years older I have had my sisters back since I was six years old, I have protected her throughout her whole life and this one night, I couldn’t protect her,” she said.
In an online statement, the police say the investigation is still ongoing.
Curve Lake Chief, Emily Whetung said the community stands behind the family’s request.
“She was a beautiful vibrant part of our community and our entire community has taken the time to mourn her loss,” Whetung said. “I think that law enforcement and the justice system should recognize the value of indigenous women in our communities, it’s important that that the entire world receives the message Indigenous women, all women have value.”
Morin will be back in court next week for charges of assault in another case.
