A candlelight vigil will be held tonight (Sunday, April 7) for London Mirielle McConnell, the little Langley girl who passed away on Friday after a long battle for survival that touched many hearts.
The vigil will be held at 7:30 p.m. at , on the west side near the water park.
Organizer Dorinda Selinger, a family friend, said participants are being asked to wear rainbows in memory of London, to reflect the fact that a double rainbow was seen shortly after London passed.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just going to have people maybe speak about how their lives have been touched by [London鈥檚] story,鈥� Selinger said.
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London was born 17 weeks premature on Oct.25, 2017 at Surrey Memorial Hospital, weighing one pound, two ounces.
Mother Jade Schievink was told the tiny baby likely wouldn鈥檛 make it, but London beat the odds.
鈥淪he just smiles in every photo,鈥� Schievink told the Langley Advance Times in March.
鈥淪he鈥檚 the most precious, happiest, loving baby.鈥�
Schievink, her husband Cody McConnell, and their children Ayla, 7, Kashton, 5, and London recently moved from Langley to Surrey.
Four weeks ago, London had to be rushed to BC Children鈥檚 Hospital where she was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with what appeared to be pneumonia.
Tests revealed she had parainfluenza.
Because her family didn鈥檛 qualify to stay at Ronald McDonald House near the BC Children鈥檚 Hospital grounds due to proximity, they ended up sleeping in hotels in Vancouver or at the hospital room that London stayed in.
A set up to help Schievink and her family during London鈥檚 stay at BC Children鈥檚 Hospital had raised more than its $20,000 goal by Saturday.
On Friday, Schievink posted a public message about her daughter passing away to her Instagram account, then took it private.
Selinger said many of the people planning to attend the vigil are members of a private Facebook group for mothers that London鈥檚 mother belongs to.
鈥淲e are her village,鈥� Selinger said.
鈥淲e were all praying so hard. I was absolutely devastated.鈥�
A singer has volunteered to perform the Spice Girls song 鈥淕oodbye,鈥� something London鈥檚 mother requested, Selinger said.
Many family supporters are taking to social media to light a candle for London.
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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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