Louisiana
Lafayette teen recognized as a 2024 Louisiana Young Hero for efforts to ‘change the world’
Sixteen-year-old Donald “Tré” Bishop lives by the motto, “Go out every day and change the world.”
That motto helped earn him the honor of being a 2024 Louisiana Young Hero, a program celebrating young people who have excelled in academics and public service.
Born and raised in Lafayette, Bishop has contributed to his community by doing small things that have made significant impacts, a news release said. He once saved his allowance to buy socks for the homeless. At 11 years old, he created a political sign recycling program. And in 2023, he raised $49,500 in three days to help St. Bernadette Clinic and the Lourdes Foundation.
Growing up with parents who were heavily involved in the community inspired him from a young age.
“I grew up around parents who help the community a lot,” he said. “My mom would volunteer for St. Jude and is a part of a lot of nonprofit boards, and my dad is in politics and fights for what is right. That one Christmas, I spent my allowance to buy socks for the homeless, I remember the faces of those I helped, and saw the impact of helping someone, from there knew I wanted to help others.”
Determined to keep Louisiana beautiful, Bishop worked with his peers, school, political candidates, local mayors, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and former Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin to create a program to recycle political signs and formed a sustainable collaborative to keep them out of landfills, according to Bishop’s LPB bio.
He partnered with Wreaths Across America to recycle the stakes for veterans’ graves. In 2021, he contributed to the passage of Bill HCR70 in the Louisiana Legislature, which encourages and assists with local collection and recycling of campaign signs.
“I am currently working on my recycling project which is a long-term project, and I am looking to run another bill to expand it further, but aside from that I am still working and volunteering for any good cause,” Bishop said.
He is a member of the Beta Club and English Honors Society as a sophomore at Ascension Episcopal School. Bishop said his spare time is dedicated to his community work.
“Balancing work and school is easy because school is my first priority and right after I focus on any free time I have with investing in my work,” he said. “My dad and my mom helped me become the person I am today. When I go to bed at night, I think, ‘Did I do something today that helps the world?’”
LPB website defines a Young Hero as an exceptional high school student who has excelled in academics, given significantly of themselves through public service, overcome personal adversity, exhibited extraordinary heroism, or inspired others through their deeds and strength of character to become better students, persons, and citizen.
Bishop said he hopes to study environmental law.
“Having my own firm is what I’d love, and later in life go into politics, because I love the environment, and come back to do Louisiana politics like my dad used to do,” he said.
“Seeing a young man do so remarkable, both his father and I are very proud of him,” his mother, Kimberly Bishop, said. “It’s so amazing to see that when you give your children a little bit of what you do in life, how that impacts them. My husband serves in the Legislature, and I’ve always been involved in volunteering and nonprofits. So to see how he utilizes and navigate the world is amazing, and I am so proud of him, and he is such a good son.”
“I can’t wait to see what the future holds for a child like this, and I can only imagine what the future holds for Louisiana and what he may bring and come back to do for his community.”
Louisiana Young Heroes recognize role models within the local communities with over 200 past honorees who have received this award, according to the program.
“It’s such an honor, and I am so happy to be represented as someone who has made an impact,” Bishop said. “For everyone who sees this I want them to feel like I want to go out and make a change like he did”
“LPB is excited to present the stories of this year’s Young Heroes. The resilience, tenacity, and bravery demonstrated by each serve as inspiration for all of us.” LPB President and CEO Clarence “C.C” Copeland said.
Other Young Heroes for the 2024 year are:
These inspiring students will be celebrated during Louisiana Young Heroes Day with a special luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion, recognized on the legislative floor of the State Capitol, and have their remarkable journeys told at 8 p.m. June 14 on LPB.
Louisiana
Louisiana medical student suffers brain damage after being pushed into lake by friends, struggling in water for 20 mins
A medical student sustained severe brain injuries after allegedly being pushed into a lake by his so-called friends. Christopher Gilbert, 26, who could not swim, was reportedly pushed off the dock at Lake D’Arbonne in Farmerville, Louisiana on April 14.
The shocking incident was caught on camera. Gilbert struggled to get out of the water for 20 minutes. A woman who initially slowly entered the water backed off, realising the rescue mission was not possible. It was only ten more minutes later that a member of the public at a nearby restaurant came to the rescue and pulled Gilbert from the water.
By the time Gilbert was rushed to the hospital, he was brain dead. The rest of his organs had also begun to fail, his mother Yolanda George said. George revealed that her son spent 72 hours on a ventilator which was “dialysis for the lungs,” according to The Mirror.
‘I felt like my life had ended in that moment’
“I was devastated. I felt like my life had ended in that moment. My son is aspiring to be a medical doctor, my son is going to be a medical doctor. He got his masters last year in biological science. He’s preparing for medical school so for this to have happened to him … I was just devastated,” said George, who went to the hospital after getting a call from one of the friends.
“She told me that Chris had fallen into the lake and he had been underwater for 20 minutes or so,’ George told Fox8. “’And I was like, 20 minutes? Why was he underwater for 20 minutes?’”
“And she was just crying hysterically and he was being airlifted to Shreveport. And initially when my son got there the doctor called us in and told me that at this time he was “brain dead pretty much, and the rest of his organs were starting to fail”,” she added.
Police said Gilbert’s friend tried to brush off the incident as “horse-play,” saying he “just kind of fell face first into the water.” However, one of them later confessed that she had pushed Gilbert off the pier.
“In the legal field, we characterize things the way we see fit,” family lawyer Claudia Payne said. “Of course, they are saying horseplay. We are saying that it was a criminal intentional push into the lake.”
“To add insult to injury, after pushing him, no one from the ‘friend group’ attempted to go in after him. Instead, two brave bystanders, who have no relationship to Chris, heard commotion and retrieved his body from the lake,” Payne added in a report.
While Gilbert is still unable to speak, he has been showing cognitive responses. His lungs are reportedly functioning at 20% capacity and he remains on life support.
Gilbert’s family has now called for an arrest. “Why would you push my son in the lake knowing he couldn’t swim? ” George said.
Louisiana
Man makes ‘miracle’ recovery after allegedly being pushed into lake by friends, left underwater
SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA/Gray News) – After being hospitalized for more than two weeks, a 26-year-old man from Louisiana is officially off life support.
Doctors described Christopher Gilbert’s survival as a “miracle” after allegedly being pushed into a lake by his friends and left underwater for nearly 10 minutes.
His family told KSLA that he will be released from the hospital soon.
Gilbert and a group of friends were at a lakefront restaurant when he ended up in the water, leaving him with significant brain damage and on life support.
Family attorney Claudia Payne said Gilbert’s friend group initially reported to police that he had fallen into the lake. However, after an investigation was conducted, it was said that he was allegedly pushed into the water by a girl in the friend group.
KSLA reported that Gilbert’s legal team is demanding an arrest to be made. They also want the restaurant owner to be held accountable for not keeping him safe.
So far, no arrests have been made and activists are demanding justice and answers.
Copyright 2024 KSLA via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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