Katie ended up getting cast at one of the junior featured dancers in the show, mainly because of her ability to light up the stage with her expressions while dancing! She truly was a marvel to watch. Juliana was in awe of her and always tried to better herself to "do it like Katie."
Although Juliana has made many friends in Spotlight, she has always considered Katie her closest friend. All summer, she was begging to see Katie again, but we were just so busy with different vacations, it was hard to coordinate. She was absolutely THRILLED however when Katie and her mom came to see her in Joseph! When she got to see Katie again at the Spotlight end of summer bash, the girls clung to each others' sides the whole evening. Sometimes it's so hard to even tell them apart, especially in bathing suits and with wet hair!
Katie is basically the reason we came back to Aurora for the fall even though the location of classess is quite far for us. Katie and Juliana decided to sign up for the same class (a musical theater dance class). It was fun to see the early rehearsal videos with both of them.
Katie is behind Juliana, in a white shirt and black shorts-this is the one they showed as a tribute at the showcase performance.
Then, they both decided to audition for Elf. Both girls nailed their auditions, but that was no guarantee of being cast. I remember the agony of waiting 2 days for the cast list to appear! Katie's mom and I were texting back and forth all day and night. It was probably harder on US than on the kids! Finally the cast list was posted, and both girls were cast as elves/naughty list children. This was a smaller, more elite group than the "nice list kids" and Katie's mom and I joked that the girls would really give their directors a run for their money and earn their titles;) The girls were so eager to begin rehearsals and work together!
Finally, the first rehearsal came. October 7. Katie's mom and I dropped the girls off and chatted for a bit before heading out. Joe went to pick Juliana up that night, and I so wish it had been me. I know it probably wouldn't have changed anything, but I know that I would have been talking with Tonia. Maybe it would have been enough to make them leave a minute later. But it isn't up to us to change things or try to make sense. As hard as it is to wrap my head around, this was meant to be Katie's last time on Earth. I am so thankful that her last memories were spent surrounding by friends doing what she loved best.
About 10 minutes after rehearsal ended, an urgent plea went out on Facebook from Juliana's other good friends' mom. There had been a horrible car accident. Katie was being rushed to the hospital. Tonia was headed there. Ellie and Jessie were also in the car, but seemed to be ok. They were headed to the hospital too though. Lisa just kept saying how scared she was and for us to pray. No one knew anything else. Of course my texts to Tonia went unanswered, but I never thought it could have been that bad. All night, friends from Spotlight awaited news that things would be ok. That news never came. In the morning, we got the horrible news that Katie had died in the crash. As more information came out, we found out there had been alcohol involved with the other driver who swerved into oncoming traffic. Katie's mom tried to swerve to avoid the collision, but he hit right where Katie was sitting.
http://abc7chicago.com/news/girl-9-killed-in-aurora-crash/1545593/
Shock. Pain. Disbelief. Worry. Ten million emotions ran through my mind and body that morning as I tried to digest the news. Joe and I both wondered how on Earth we were supposed to tell Juliana. She had a friend over, so we decided to let it wait. When we finally told her, she just took it in stride but then wanted to go back downstairs to play. She needed some space. I worried for days that she wasn't mourning "the right way" because she didn't cry. She, on the other hand, thought that all the adults had it wrong because "all they did was cry." I guess it just goes to show that grief works differently in different people. She talked "to Katie" all the time in the shower, but she kept telling me she wasn't worried for Katie because she was in Heaven so she was fine. Oh to have that ability to only see the good. We went to a prayer service at a friend's house where we sang, worshiped and prayed for Katie and her family as well as her whole Spotlight community. Rehearsals were canceled as we all came together to hold each other up. The support shown to the family was unbelievable, and Katie's visitation was no different. Over 1,000 people showed up to show their love for this amazing little girl. Juliana had a hard time seeing Katie, but Tonia came back over and talked to her for quite awhile, even in her own grief. She has been amazing to all the kids throughout all of this!
Going back to the first class without Katie, her friend and dance partner, was super hard. Juliana asked me to change her to another class. She didn't want Katie to be replaced. She didn't want a new partner, she wanted Katie. It broke my heart! But then she decided to push on and "do it for Katie." Juliana has since kept a picture of Katie in a locket and doesn't take it off. She says that now she gets to talk to Katie everyday instead of just a couple days a week. She sings songs about Katie, talks to her and writes stories about her to keep her in her memory. It has been and will always be a significant event in her life. We will never forget this beautiful little girl whose smile could light up an entire room! It's so hard to believe she isn't here with us anymore, but I am so glad to have had the privilege to have known her, however short a time.
The whole performance of Elf was dedicated to Katie. There were 2 full page ads for her in the playbill, along with many other mentions of "doing it for Katie." Every cast member had a red felt heart with her initials to wear during the show. The elves all had them as a part of their costume, front and center. Kids were also given special remembrance rocks at the strike party. She is never far from our hearts.
We love you Katie!
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