Aleiya Rose Hellowell-Hall had an “infinite reservoir of smiles and laughs.”
The seven-year-old girl from the Ailsa Craig-area died Monday afternoon, when the vehicle her mother was driving crashed with a pickup truck at the intersection of Nairn Road and McEwen Drive northwest of London.
Wayne Howie, Aleiya’s great uncle, described her as a “nucleus of joy” and a “spark plug of sunshine.”
“She was a unique child because there wasn’t so much a gift or a toy you put in front of her. Her favourite past time was your attention,” Howie told Global News Radio 980 CFPL.
It wasn’t long ago that Howie and Aleiya were pretending to be spies together, he reflected.
“We’d take little notes, and then spy on the dogs, and then spy on my wife again,” he said.
He remembers asking the little girl if she wanted to trying spying on herself.
“She gave me a quizzical look, and said, ‘How could we possibly do that, Uncle Wayne? How could we do that?’ and I said, ‘Well, there’s a mirror upstairs. We could spy on ourselves.’ And she would say, ‘We can’t spy on someone if they already know you’re looking at them,’ and she’d give me that sarcastic look.”
Howie, who organized a GoFundMe page to cover the unexpected costs of the funeral arrangements, said the family is still in shock.
“They’ve got each other, that’s what they’re holding on to.”
Aleiya’s mother, and Howie’s niece, Meghan Hellowell, was also taken to hospital after the crash. Police have said the pair were heading north on Nairn Road when a pickup truck heading south turned east in front of them onto McEwen Drive.
Hellowell has since been released from hospital, and Howie said she provided him with a statement about the tragedy.
“Thank you for the outpouring of love and generosity from my community through this difficult time. Aleiya has made me a better person, more complete, and was my best supporter through tough and challenging times. She’s always told me I was capable of anything I wanted to do. She was my best friend. I will not give up after this loss, as I will see her again some time. She was my light, and my everything. I love her, I will always love her, and nothing will take this pain away.”
Howie adds that Aleiya also loved her dad, who was attentive and spent a lot of time with her.
“Her father is an amazing young man,” he said. “His life was his daughter, as well.”
North Middlesex Mayor Don Shipway says the loss has rocked the community.
“Everybody’s upset about it. It’s a real tragedy,” he said.
“Everybody’s giving their prayers.”
Visitations will take place at M. Box and Son Funeral Home in Parkhill on Saturday and Sunday. A service is being held at the North Middlesex Community Centre on Sunday. People are being urged to bring teddy bears, which will be donated to local emergency services to give comfort to children in times of need.
“It would be something that Aleiya would have wanted, to bring some joy into a child’s life that may be in a situation that they can survive,” Howie said.
The crash that took Aleiya’s life is still under police investigation. Middlesex County OPP have not said whether they’ll be laying charges in the case.
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