LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Heather Mammen, the mother of Elaina Mammen who was reportedly killed during a shooting in 2022, told LEX 18 that she keeps track of the days when she can't get out of bed and has to take medication to sleep.
“I’m grateful I haven't had to go to a mental hospital and I’m still here and that I haven't driven off a bridge,” Mammen said describing how she feels two years after her daughter, Elaina was murdered.
The trial of Hubert Riley and his minor cousin will begin in just over two months inside a Lexington Circuit courtroom.
Mammen knows the testimony will open old wounds, so she’s not looking forward to the process. To occupy her mind, and to honor her daughter’s memory, she’s spent the last two years forming the "Go Light Our World Project," or GLOW for short.
“We would like to develop a culture that enhances, protects and includes our youth and young adults. It's all about helping the people that are here,” she said of GLOW’s mission.
Mammen is hoping to develop a scholarship to help young people find their way onto a good path in life. After meeting Riley weeks before the shooting, she felt he could’ve benefited from this type of help.
“Not everyone has the money, or the grades for college, so this scholarship can be for the ones who might want to do something in the trade school, but might not have resources for them,” Mammen explained.
Mammen is excited for an event that GLOW is sponsoring on Feb. 8. It’s the Jock Sutherland Classic basketball tournament, which GLOW has been involved with since 2023, just after Elaina was killed.
One of Elaina’s closest friends is also involved with GLOW. Like Heather, Kala Decker has good days and bad.
“It’s hard,” Decker said, while fighting back tears. “I touch her face (picture) on my fridge every night, and her squish mellows are still on my nightstand."
As a young adult who found her way to a career in cosmetology, Mammen and Decker hope GLOW will serve as an inspiration to others.
“That light you’re looking at behind a closed door will be there one day,” Mammen said of GLOW’s role in helping people find their way.
For more information about Go Light Our World, click here: GLOW Project | Home
