To hear her mother Daisy Reid tell it, Joy’s name described her perfectly — how she lived her life and what she brought to the people around her. But just two weeks before Easter, Joy’s life was tragically cut short at age six when she passed away from a severe seizure.

“She was a happy, happy girl,” reflected Daisy, who is naturally still navigating the pain of her sudden loss. “She lived up to her name — Joy. She was a great singer, she was a dancer, she did gymnastics. She loved the park, she loved pizza.”

Although Joy was diagnosed as nonverbal, Daisy said her daughter made a lasting impression on everyone she met, including her big brother Xavier, who is also autistic. “Anybody who came in contact with Joy just fell in love with her,” she said. “She was a woman of few words.”

Daisy continues to describe her daughter as only a mother could, recalling how Joy would smile up at her during hugs: “She had the most beautiful hazel and green eyes, and she locked onto you with them. She loved from her heart. She would hug you, or she would just smile at you.”

The loss was also deeply felt by Joy's grandfather, Daisy shared. At Joy’s funeral, her father said that children with autism — especially those who are nonverbal — have so much to give and are often misunderstood. “Joy was in touch with her feelings. She lived her life, and she made everybody around her want to live life. She made my dad have a purpose. He drove her to school every day, and they did music together. She had a love of Harry Belafonte songs and all Temptations’ songs.”

Support for Daisy and her family has come from the extended family she calls Autism Ontario.  When her children were first diagnosed with autism, Daisy experienced depression and isolation. “I felt isolated. When I found out about the diagnosis, a lot of people who were around me just separated. They didn’t want their children around me.” 

Finding Autism Ontario changed that. "Every weekend, we were doing something with Autism Ontario or with a family from Autism Ontario.” Both of her children, she says, were able to enjoy themselves at Autism Ontario’s programs and events because they felt accepted. “Joy had fun,” she said. “It was the only time she was allowed to do art because other people at school were always worried about her behavior. But with Autism Ontario, she just got to be a kid. She got to do art class; she got to go to dance and karate. She’s been to Swan Lake — all because of Autism Ontario.” 

 “Joy was just so smart,” said Daisy. “She was beyond her years. I know even though she passed so quickly, she impacted me so much that even my advocacy for autism is even more on fire than it was before.” 

Daisy continues to be involved in the community. A fundraiser has been organized to help with expenses the family is facing. For more information, you can contact Daisy at: daisyreidx@gmail.com.