Before you can move forward, sometimes you have to look back.
Earlier this month, Toddlers & Tiaras star Kailia Posey died by suicide at the age of 16, forever changing her mom Marcy Posey Gatterman's life.
"The days and weeks leading up to this, it seemed fine to me," Marcy exclusively shared with E! News. "I didn't go through her phone. For prom, she went with a bunch of friends. And the next day, everything was fine."
However, everything seemed to change on May 2. Kailia—who recently made the cheerleading squad and was named runner-up in the Miss Washington Teen USA pageant—asked her mom to pick up deodorant from the store, claiming she needed it for school the next day. Just minutes after Marcy headed out to run the errand, she said Kailia left the house with one of the family's cars. She sadly wouldn't see her again.
"She left a note for me and then one for her best friend," Marcy shared. "The note said that she loved me and that she was sorry and that her big brother is her best friend forever."
As Kailia navigated high school, her mom said the reality star—she became a meme following a 2012 episode of the TLC series—was seeing a therapist. Today, Marcy hopes her daughter's death is a reminder to talk openly about mental health.
"Parents who have teenagers, check their phones," she said. "And if you're struggling, talk to your parents. They're not judging you. They're going to get you the help that you need, but we need to know what you need in order get the help you need."
As Marcy's grieving process continues, she is comforted by the support of fans and strangers around the world. She's also inspired by Kailia's friends, who have started a teen mental health fund called Kailia's World.
"Every sweatshirt that anybody buys, it goes to the fund so that we can get counselors out and help students out that need it," Marcy shared. "She had everything going for her."