There was a girl who made life worth while. She went through every day with a beautiful smile. She would wake up every morning and go to school. And when she came home she sure was a tool. With lotion on her feet every day mom would rub And when dad got home he would take her in the hot tub. She would laugh and play and splash around. Oh, how we loved to hear that giggling sound. She would break dance on the kitchen floor. And help herself right out the back door. This little girl loved to go on a bike ride. She was so happy, she barely ever cried. She was a girl of wonder and fears And had enough joy to last a million years. She loved to eat everything in sight Your homework or your finger she would bite. Her name was Hailey Belle you see And she will always be with you and me. Just close your eyes and picture her face And know she is in a special place. Written by Amber Sterzel Hailey with big sisters Amber and Kaitlyn
Hailey Belle was born on December 8, 2000. From birth to 3 months we hadn't noticed any anomolies and presumed we had a healthy baby girl. Not until a trip to the hospital with pneumonia, were some of her disabilities brought to our attention by the team at the Morristown Hospital. Her short comings were not the only thing we had learned, but also her strength and endurance. Through out her life she would endure many health issues, coupled with the inability to walk or talk. She attended multpile types of therapies from physical, occupational, speech, sensory and hyperbaric, and together they did help make small gains in her development. Even with all she had been through, she was a happy child. We searched all over for answers, traveling to most of the major hospitals in the tri-state area, praying someone could point us in a direction or give a diagnosis. With each dead end in our research, we would grow a little more frustrated. Over the last two years, Hailey also battled ongoing seizures which continued to get more severe. With each seizure, she would take another step back in her development for which she had to work so hard to achieve. By the time of her seventh birthday, we had realized a diagnosis was not to come and we needed to stay focused on getting her seizures under control. Despite her health concerns, Hailey lived a wonderful life. She was adoured by her parents, sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Her face would light up when swimming in the hot tub, riding her bike and the many weekend trips to the merry-go-round at the mall or Chuck e Cheese. Eating was perhaps her favorite activity, she loved pizza, lollipops and twizzlers. She loved all types of music especially classical. Her favorite place was Disney World which we had the good fortune to bring her to on three seperate occasions. She loved Its a Small World and the fireworks at night. Our family has met many wonderful people and organizations that help provide and care for children with disabilities. These organizations will continue to have our support in providing for children the same tools and services that made such a difference in Hailey's life. We will always be extremely grateful, for the therapists, teachers, doctors and friends that allowed her to live a much more fulfilled life. We will always love and miss our angel, and are thankful for the love and life lessons she provided for our family and the people she came in contact with.
First day on her bike donated by the Mary Therese Rose Fund. While we were looking for the camera, she helped herself to the cake	One of Hailey's greates joys was swimming in the hot tub. More than the presents, she always enjoyed playing with the paper.