Doing Good With Aly's Memorial Garden
Opened in 2024, Aly's Garden was created by her family and community to honor the life of young girl who loved wildflowers.
In 2023, Aly's mother connected with American Meadows with a beautiful story about her daughter.
"In June of 2021 aplastic anemia took our precious Alynnah from us. But aplastic anemia could never take her hope, her faith, or her love. Aly’s spirits were never diminished by her illness.
In one of our family’s most beloved picture books, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, Miss Rumphius travels far and wide, has splendid adventures, and increasingly learns that to be perfectly happy you must do something to make the world more beautiful. Miss Rumphius begins by planting lupine seeds in a small garden near her home, and then planting them everywhere she walks to share the pure delight the delicious flowers freely dispense. Just like the seeds, joy, beauty, life, and hope will spread, year after year by the blooming of the beautiful blossoms."
When considering how they would honor and remember Aly, her family thought of Miss Rumphius. So, they set out to make a garden. A kind man donated a piece of land in Downtown Goldsboro, NC. American Meadows donated beautiful native flowers, and some of Aly’s favorite spring flowers, bright yellow daffodils. Landscape Design of Goldsboro, Inc provided the paths and did the heavy lifting. Downtown Goldsboro helped to manage the project and provide funding. Several other hands made the work light.
Aly's memorial garden is a beatuiful trubute from her family and community, and will offer a place of beauty and refuge to make her community a more beautiful and connected place.
From her family:
"Our thankfulness to those who helped and donated their time and talents cannot be adequately captured in words. Truly, our hope springs eternal and Aly’s butterfly garden will give joy, share beauty, exude life, and spread hope, just like our precious girl, for years to come."
