Nine years ago, when Lauralee Basdeo was just four years old, her life changed forever when armed criminals gunned down her father in a shooting in central Trinidad. Left without a primary caregiver after the tragedy, the young girl was taken in and raised by extended family members, who gave her a home and stability through her early childhood.
But hardship would strike again for Basdeo, now 13. Over the past few years, nearly all of the adoptive family members who raised her have passed away from illness, leaving her with just one other surviving blood relative: her mother, Laura Singh. Reuniting to live with Singh once more, Basdeo has faced a steep, uphill climb to build a stable future for herself against stacked odds.
Yet far from being broken by her cumulative losses, the teenager has channeled her grit into pursuing her passions and excelling across multiple areas of her life. Today, as a student at Holy Faith Convent in Couva — her first-choice secondary school, an achievement she earned despite the upheaval and grief that marked her exam preparation period — Basdeo is an active multi-sport athlete and talented musician, carving out a reputation for her skill and determination across Trinidad’s local community.
An avid footballer, cricketer and competitive 5K runner, Basdeo’s talent on the cricket pitch recently caught the attention of professional Trinidadian cricketer Nicholas Pooran, who awarded her a full scholarship to train at his elite batting academy. Beyond sports, she is also a skilled tassa drummer, sharing the stage with world record-holding pannist Joshua Regrello for a performance at a local mall last year. This year, she was invited back to perform for shoppers again on Indian Arrival Day at Gulf City Mall in La Romaine, showcasing her talent to hundreds of attendees.
Speaking to local outlet *Trinidad Express* last week, Singh described her daughter as a paragon of resilience, even in the face of uncertainty about the future. “Even in the midst of everything, she is resilient. She does not give up,” Singh said. “She lost her father so young, she lost her grandparents. If I pass away she has no one, nobody to take care of her. But God sent good people in our lives. We want to show people that you can become something even in these situations. She passed for her first-choice school which is an accomplishment by itself; it was a big achievement. We did not see that coming with all the deaths and writing an exam and passing for your first choice despite everything that we went through.”
Singh added that while Basdeo lacks a large, stable extended family to rely on, the teenager’s obvious drive and natural talent have drawn support from countless community members who have stepped in to nurture her growth. “It feels like when you lose in some areas, God gives you and supplies…She is still able to achieve good things. We want people to know you should not give up in life. Whatever you may be facing, study your work, put God first and keep pressing on. Keep pushing,” she said.
For Basdeo herself, her journey has been one of turning pain into purpose, and she has a clear message of hope for other young people navigating hardship of their own. “Every moment offers a chance for a fresh start and a new direction. Don’t let past hardships define your future. Instead, let them be lessons that guide you toward better decisions. Keep striving, keep being a boss, and never give up on your dreams. Most importantly, keep your faith in God, and don’t let anyone else’s opinions or negativity dim your spark,” she said.