Many of you only knew Mads through what she chose to share online.
You knew she loved Why Don’t We, Harry Potter, Spider-Man, K-pop, TØP, and anything that involved music.
But Maddie was a universe. And here are some of the stars in it that you might not have known:
She danced—and not just with her feet, but with her whole heart.
She ran track and was fast as lightning. She lived for the wind in her hair and the thrill of racing toward something.
She wrote poetry, quietly, beautifully.
She wanted to be a mum more than anything. She adored babies, doted on them, and took care of them like she was born to love that way.
She was autistic and a savant, accepted into MENSA at eleven years old.
She spoke seven languages—English, French, Italian, Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, and Sign Language.
She played tennis from the moment she could walk, and even played one last match just five days before she fell asleep and never woke up.
Maddie was the glue of our family. And without her, we’ve been left cracked and aching.