We are featuring Sunny Mahe who lost her sweet daughter, Elsie. She is sharing some things that have helped her after her loss. She is so inspiring! We are so excited for you to read about her and Elsie! ♥️
•Sunny and Elsie:
I am a former BYU volleyball player and mother of 8 plus a bonus stepson. Elsie is #7 of our 9. Elsie was just a magical little girl. She made epic messes, had hilarious adventures, and danced like nobody was watching. She was everything sparkly and princess-y and tiptoed her way through life with wild tangled curls and bare feet. She became entangled in the cord from our window blinds and passed away from those injuries at 3 1/2 years old.
•What helped Sunny most after her loss:
I was surrounded by angels, seen and unseen. I lived through her loss pretty publicly, and as such we received an immeasurable outpouring of love and support. I have continued to keep a public journal of our journey and healing and I don’t shy away from sharing the intimate emotions and thoughts of my grief. This has helped me to process my grief and also in some small ways gives people a window into what child loss really looks like.
•How Sunny remembers Elsie:
Elsie loved to sneak into my craft room and dump out all of my glitter - usually on her own head. 😂We have drawn inspiration from that and we sprinkle pink glitter at her gravesite or anytime we travel we take some to sprinkle. We also started a foundation in her honor, Miracles from Elsie. It provides financial support to families with a child in medical crisis or death, provides grief counseling for families who have lost a child, and raises awareness for organ donation.
•Advice for others:
I believe in the healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. There is always going to be a part of my heart that has an Elsie sized hole in it now, and the parts for some of the repair of that hole won’t be made available until resurrection day when we are all together again. But the Savior heals my heart daily and those jagged edges are not quite as painful as they once were. He heals with hope and by faith in His promises. To someone who has lost a loved one, there is strength in vulnerability. It sounds counterintuitive, but by being brave and admitting that you are hurting or struggling, you allow for true healing to occur. Open your heart, believe, endure. You WILL see that loved one again. Live well, make them proud.
