Grief and loss have a way of making people reflect on themselves and their lives. The journey through dark places is tough and people speaking on that work is admirable. Nickayla Rivera, sister to Naya Rivera, opened up about her grief and sadness after the death of her sister in July 2020.
In a YouTube video titled “allow me to reintroduce myself,” Nickayla gave subscribers a 10-minute walk through her life. She touched on her childhood when she first started to model and how that career took her to New York.
Nickayla talked about her hopes and how she was going to make it her year in 2020. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic really hit and she reflected on how she was grateful that she got to spend time at home with her family in Los Angeles.
Just months after the lockdown began, Nickayla and her family were rocked by the sudden death of her sister Naya.
“My family and I experienced a tragic loss. In July of 2020, my sister Naya passed away,” she recalled. “And when that happened, I was in complete shock. My whole family was in complete shock. It was like someone pulled the rug from under us and we didn’t see it coming. The dark place that I was in before only progressed when that happened. At that time, I had no thoughts of my future. I had no thoughts of myself, really. I was only just experiencing pain.”
The tragic death of her sister Naya forced Nickayla to seek out the good in the world while bettering herself. She focused on dropping bad habits, like vaping, and started a journey to a healthier lifestyle.
It’s been four years since Nickayla has posted to YouTube and it seems that she is growing into a better place. We wish her and Naya Rivera’s family the best.