This patch was made in memory of Aaliyah M. Whaley. Taken too soon at only two years old, she was able to spread her smile everywhere she possibly could. A few months before she passed, we renovated her room with Hoo Hoo owls, Hello Kitty, Princesses with pink and purple paint. She loved spending every minute she could outside playing. She loved for her brothers to bounce her high on the trampoline and swing her high in her swing. Aaliyah has a cute little pink “Flintstone” car, but always needed help getting pushed around, because she didn’t know how to use her feet yet. Aaliyah loved helping her Daddy with the horses. If he was trimming their feet, she always wanted to be next to him, trying to help. Our horses were so good at standing still when she was around. We believe that she carried the same gift as her Dad and would have continued to work with horses. Including her baby horse Boo, which she adopted, who was only a few months older than her. The picture on the patch was the first time they met. They exchanged a kiss and their hearts were forever bonded.
Aaliyah had the sweetest heart that we have ever met in a child. She would do anything and everything to make you smile. If it was bedtime, she would run and hide from you. Most of the time she ran to her Mom Mom to protect her. Her Mom Mom had surgery and wasn’t able to do a lot of things with her. But Aaliyah developed a method of turning around to her, so her Mom Mom could put her arms under her Aaliyah’s and wrap them around her stomach, so she could lift her up. She spent hours with her Mom Mom, doing what we call now as her “physical therapy”. They spent many days coloring together, and sometimes she made Mom Mom walk to come and find her or to take her somewhere and show her something.
Aaliyah had few people in her life that she trusted and loved. Other than her Dad, John, her Mom, Christine, and her Mom Mom, Jane. She also had two brothers Joshua and Timothy. Joshua and her watched movies together every chance they got. With Josh being 16, he was also the one that told her she wasn’t allowed to wear short shorts or short tops. He was a very protective big brother. Timmy was the brother that helped her create messes and have fun. They made a mud slide together…right after Daddy had planted grass seed. Of course Timmy sent her in first to explain.
Aaliyah continues to touch everyone’s heart. She is dearly missed and will forever be loved and remembered as our Baby Girl.