Dorri Partain
Dorri Partain
Managing Editor
Following the death of Braisen Cain — Northeast resident and mother of five boys — on Wednesday, Aug. 6, friends, family and community members quickly rallied to cover funeral costs and provide financial support.
A GoFundMe account to collect donations was started by Tricia DeGraff, executive director at Academy for Integrated Arts, where Cain had taught pre-K and Kindergarten students for several years. Her children also attended this charter school at 7910 Troost Ave.
“It is hard to fully capture what an amazing and resilient person Ms. Braisen was,“ DeGraff said in an emailed statement. “She had an extraordinary gift for seeing the best in her students and all of us. When I think of her, I see her patiently and expertly supporting a kindergarten student through a tough moment or working with a small group of students and making each child feel seen and valued. I also remember her talking about how proud she was of each of her five boys. She would do anything for her five children. She wanted the best for them and the best for all who had the privilege of knowing her. She selflessly cared for her children, her students, and her colleagues.”
The original goal of $25,000 was met but extended to $200,000 on Aug.13 to create a fund that would assist her children. Cain’s children ranged from ages 2 to 19 years old and her family stated that the goal was to keep the children together.
In a report released by the KCPD Media Unit, Cain was shot multiple times after being struck by the perpetrator’s vehicle and declared deceased at the scene. The perpetrator, Arel Dawson, was arrested in Springfield, Mo. and charged by the Jackson County Prosecutor with First Degree Murder on Friday, Aug. 8. Cain’s family has identified Dawson as the father of Cain’s unborn child, also killed during the Aug. 6 attack.
A memorial service for Braisen Cain and her child was held on Saturday, Aug. 16 at Trinity United Methodist Church, Kansas City, Mo.
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