Funeral today for girl who died at parade
Woman who suffered own loss coming to aid of the family
A funeral will be held today for a young girl who died in a tragic Christmas parade accident in Yarmouth, N.S.
The small town of 7,000 people was left devastated when fouryear-old MaCali Cormier died Saturday night after she fell under the wheels of a float during the annual Parade of Lights.
A visitation was scheduled at the Yarmouth Wesleyan Church from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Her funeral service will be held today at 11 a.m. at the same church.
H.M. Huskilson’s funeral home in Yarmouth has chosen to absorb the funeral costs, and instead, donations can be made to a trust fund for MaCali’s younger siblings.
Grief counsellors were dispatched to local schools on Tuesday, as students returned from a previously scheduled day off.
Her obituary said MaCali was a pre-primary student at Yarmouth Central School and “couldn’t wait” to go to the new school that is being built across the street.
A candlelight vigil was held at Frost Park in Yarmouth Monday night in memory of MaCali, who was the oldest of three children.
Meantime, a woman who has gone through loss of her own is coming to the aid of the young girl’s parents.
Sarah Robicheau said she understands the intense pain the loss of a child can bring, after experiencing a stillbirth in 2012 and the loss of an infant to SIDS just two years later.
“I know the heartache and what’s to come,” she said.
“When I had my loss, there was not really any resources in Yarmouth for child loss, so I kind of left the hospital empty handed, with nothing, and not really anywhere to go to.”
Robicheau, 29, along with another friend who lost a child to SIDS, started Anchor for Hope, a non-profit organization that provides support for parents who have experienced child and infant loss, as well as stillbirths and miscarriages.
This support comes in the form of “Hope Boxes”— packages given out at hospitals filled with comfort items like bubble bath and chocolates, as well as a list of resources for parents grieving the loss of a child.
They also make meals for families in mourning.
The day after Saturday’s tragedy, Robicheau made a social media request asking people to donate food items for meals for MaCali’s grieving family.
“When you’re grieving the loss of a child, it’s really hard to remember to feed yourself, along with other children in the home,” she said.
“It’s just kind of a way to say, ‘We’re here, we love you,’ and just to offer support.”
She said the request was met with a lot of response, and Anchor for Hope had enough food to provide the family with supper every night until the end of December.