Grand Coulee honours Meadow
Park to be named for victim of crash
It has been almost a year since the tight-knit community of Grand Coulee lost one of its own.
Described as a caregiver who liked to look after the specialneeds kids in her day care and who planned to be a surgeon and one day open up her own animal rescue, seven-year-old Meadow McElravey continues to be deeply missed and fondly remembered.
“We’ve heard things like people look at their little kids differently now, and I’ve heard people say that they can’t get Meadow out of their mind because she was just so perfect and so beautiful,” said Meadow ’s grandmother, Cheryl Healey.
To honour her memory, a town park will now bear Meadow ’s name on a sign designed by her grandmother. The sign will read “Meadow Park” with hearts around her name, Meadow ’s favourite animal — an owl — in the top right corner, a drawing of a fox made by Meadow in the bottom right corner and seven stars in the other two corners that represent her age.
“It’s heartbreaking that it has to be,” Healey said of the tribute. “But if anybody deserves it, it’s Meadow.”
On the evening of July 24, 2017, Trisha Healey and her daughter were involved in a two-vehicle collision near Belle Plaine. Meadow died at the scene, and Trisha was airlifted to Regina General Hospital with broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen and other injuries.
She spent two weeks in the hospital after the crash and continues to go to physiotherapy twice a week to rehabilitate her still broken back.
It was during Healey’s hospital stay, that a woman from the town’s park committee approached them with the idea to name the park after Meadow.
“It means a lot,” said Trisha. “It’s a nice way to show how close Grand Coulee is and a very sweet way to show tribute to such an awesome little girl.”
Trisha said the 11 months since her daughter’s death have been difficult and even now, still don’t feel real.
“It had been just her and I for such a long time,” she said. “We were partners in everything.”
Trisha said she’s grateful for the outpouring of support she and her family have received since Meadow ’s death. The family has received lots of messages of support from friends, family and community members for Grand Coulee and surrounding communities.
“When this happened, I’ll tell you, the community pulled together unbelievably,” said Cheryl.
And it was in the spirit of the community that the town threw their support behind naming the park after the little girl with a big heart who left an even bigger impact on the people she met.
“Naming it as a tribute to Meadow, it reflects who Meadow is — a safe place to go play, have fun and laugh because that is what Meadow was about,” said Cheryl.
“To me that’s what that park will represent — her personality. Always playing, always making sure everybody around her had a good day.”
The public is invited to attend a barbecue in the park at 5 p.m. Wednesday, where the new sign will be unveiled. The park is located on Railway Avenue in the southwest corner of the town.