WATCH ABOVE: Shallima Maharaj was at the vigil and spoke with several people touched by the tragedy.
EDMONTON — Community members in Morinville gathered Thursday night to pay tribute to two-year-old Jade MacDonald, who drowned last the weekend in a storm water pond.
“She never had a bad day,” said Elisabeth Melvin with The Father’s House Christian Fellowship Church, who spoke with the little girl’s mom during the vigil.
“She said Jade was never sad. She just lived life to the fullest. That is how her mom is finding comfort.
“She feels like in the two-and-a-half years she was able to mother her, that she celebrated every day of life with her daughter.”
Jade had been playing with her siblings Saturday morning in a nearby park when she wandered away. By the time anyone noticed the toddler was gone, it was too late.
READ MORE: Memorial grows in Morinville after 2-year-old drowns in pond
A growing memorial of flowers, candles and stuffed animals now surrounds a cross at the shore of the pond, where a large crowd gathered Thursday night to support the MacDonald family.
“They’re grieving. This, this will never go away,” said Melvin. “The family, they’re definitely in a state of shock. Pretty numb. But you can see tragedy either pulls you apart or binds you together, and it’s definitely binding this family together.”
During the vigil, pink balloons — one of Jade’s favourite colours — were sent into the air.
Her other favourite colour, orange, could be found on the wings of the painted lady butterflies also released into the sky.
The rest of the butterflies will be let go after her funeral on Friday. Jade was one of six children.
“Jade was their first daughter and she changed the dynamic of the family for sure. Having four boys and then your first girl,” said family friend Amanda Jepson. “She softened her dad’s heart. She brought a whole new dynamic to the family.”
The loss has left a mark on the small community about 15 minutes north of St. Albert, a suburb of Edmonton.
“I think this little girl represents the heart of Morinville. We are a tight-knit community and experiencing her loss has impacted the entire town,” Melvin said.
Melissa St. Denis said the loss hit close to home for her and her husband as the parents of a 16-month-old boy. St. Denis organized Thursday’s vigil, despite not knowing the MacDonald’s.
“We’ve never met them, but that really didn’t matter or play into the decision to organize this vigil.
“I think that as a mom and as a community member, it just felt important and right to be present for them.”
Members of the Father’s House Christian Fellowship have also taken steps to try and help the family through this heartbreaking time. The church set up the Jade MacDonald Memorial Fund, and has been collecting food to help get the family though the next few weeks.
“We have well over a month worth of meals supplied. People are stopping multiple times a day at the church office, bringing in meals, bringing in cards,” Elisabeth Melvin said, adding, “Our church has been flooded right from the very day that it happened. The community was right there. ‘What can we do? How can we help?‘”
A funeral service will take place Friday at 2 p.m., at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre. More information on the funeral and the family’s memorial fund can be found on The Father’s House Christian Fellowship website.
With files by Shallima Maharaj, Global News
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