My Little Angel

“My Little Angel”, Today it would be wonderful to see you play and smile, but heaven lent you to the world for just a little while. And in that short but precious time, you brought along much love. And all of that love is with you now, in heaven up above. You leaving caused so many tears and such a lot of pain, but God needed one more angel, so he took you back again. Ayzlee Maeliana McCarthy was born on December 16, 2011, at Cass County’s Hospital in Atlantic, Iowa. Ayzlee’s parent’s names are Jim McCarthy, and Amber McCarthy; they loved her with all their hearts. Her siblings are Easton McCarthy who was ten and Ireland McCarthy who was seven. Ayzlee’s “McCarthy number” was 89. Ayzlee lived with her family in  Elk Horn, Iowa. Ayzlee said she wanted to be like mommy when she grew up. She loved to dance to her favorite music. She also loved to sing. She met one of her many best friends, Kenadie, at Cheryl’s daycare. Ayzlee was the biggest “girly girl” with a huge smile, and a special excitement for life. Ayzlee was really proud of her big girl bed and her accomplishment of potty training.  She was a BIG fan of Frozen, Doc McStuffins, and Dora the Explorer. She also liked popular songs like “Let It Go”,”All About That Bass” and “Shake It Off”.  

When Ayzlee got very sick, she still showed caring for others beyond her years. It was almost Christmas when all Ayzlee wanted was Frozen stuff. As always, the caring three year old got what she wanted. She got a Frozen dress up set Almost all of December twenty-sixth, she played with the set and played with her stuffed snowman named Olaf. She became sick three days later. Ayzlee’s mother Amber, was surprised saying,”We both had flu shots.”

The flu got worse, Ayzlee became complaining saying “My legs hurt Mommy.” Then she started to say she couldn’t walk. Ayzlee had a temperature of one hundred two. She didn’t have any other signs of the flu though,  so Amber took her to the clinic. They said she had influenza A and B. Amber went home with her daughter, she followed directions. She made Ayzlee drink a lot of fluids and get plenty of rest. Amber didn’t get her to start eating until she got her to eat toast. “You’re a good cooker, mommy!” said Ayzlee. Amber stayed home that day, while the rest of the family Jim, Ireland, and Easton went to a family gathering. Ayzlee didn’t complain about being sick at all the next day, but Amber thought she wasn’t acting like herself. Amber took her straight to the emergency room. Ayzlee began saying” Where’s my mommy?” That made Amber panic very quickly. The next move the hospital made, was to send Ayzlee to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. Ayzlee watched Frozen in the ambulance all the way there. Jim, Ayzlee’s father started to rush to Des Moines. When Ayzlee arrived her illness got worse, this made her have trouble breathing. “I was starting to crumble on the inside, but still knew we were in the right place and everything would be fine,” Amber said.  “No question! She just had the flu for crying out loud. She is the bravest person I know, hands down! Never cried, nothing!” Around four A.M. Amber woke up, she looked over at Ayzlee. Her heart was racing, Amber called for a nurse or a doctor. Ayzlee said these words that made Amber get the chills. “Mommy, I done. I done, I so tired!” Amber hugged her daughter for that last time, and told her she loved her. Amber didn’t believe the words she just heard. She thought of those words, maybe one of her older patients would’ve said that but no this time it was a child; her child. After that, the doctors tried to keep her alive. She lost her heartbeat, the doctors tried to revive her. But it didn’t work. Ayzlee McCarthy passed away on December 29th 2014. The hospital staff wrapped Ayzlee McCarthy in a blanket and let her parents hold her. Ayzlee’s funeral had lots of DUM DUMS, due to the fact she loved the lollipops. “Just everything that would come out of her mouth usually put a smile on our face because you couldn’t figure out how a little girl could understand so much and love so much,” Amber said about her daughter. “She was just a big love bug who loved life and wherever we went people would comment how beautiful she was. She just had a way about her.”  Most of the donations the family got they put it into local activities she enjoyed such as park equipment, the swimming pool, and the library. There was a bench put up in the park. There was a celebration at the library in Elk Horn where they put up a castle in the corner that had Ayzlee’s Castle written on it. Anybody could come to the library, and a lot of people came and played in Ayzlee’s castle. Ayzlee was my first cousin and about the youngest person I wanted to be. She was always caring to people around her. If you were ever having a bad day, go to her and she would make you laugh, smile, and feel better. I just can’t believe still that she died at the age of three. She was so young and full of joy.  Ayzlee’s parents and family don’t want any other family to have this happen to them so they are helping out with flu shot vaccines. They also sold shirts to raise money to send it in for research. Everyone is still missing her, but we all wish that she is dancing in the stars.