LEHI, Utah, Dec. 9, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Elsie Mahe’s life will be celebrated with a public memorial Friday evening at the Salt Palace.
The 3-year-old daughter of BYU assistant coach Reno Mahe and wife Sunny passed away last week following a Nov. 22 in-home accident that left her nearly strangled by a mini-blind cord.
Elsie was hospitalized for more than a week while medical tests were conducted, and family, friends and supporters prayed for a miracle recovery. But the tests determined the lack of oxygen to her brain had caused irreparable damage, and the preschooler’s condition continued to decline.
When doctors determined Elsie was brain dead, the Mahes went ahead with plans to donate her organs in hopes of saving other lives.
Sunny Mahe on Tuesday posted the memorial plans on Mahe Update Facebook page.
“I am so sorry for the delayed information for Elsie’s services,” she wrote. “We had felt prompted to accommodate as many people as possible to come and celebrate Elsie’s life and feel of her spirit. But we couldn’t bear the thought of having people wait out in the cold or be so crowded that the event seemed chaotic.
“Today, we met with representatives of the Salt Palace where we will host a public memorial service in room 155 on Friday evening from 6:00-9:00 PM. There will be free parking in the west convention center lot across from the Vivint Arena.
“This is such an answer to our prayers and I believe Elsie would be really happy about this,” Mahe wrote. “Please don’t feel the need to stay away. We will have our private services on Saturday, but we have felt so blessed and upheld by your kind words and shared faith. We want to offer you some closure as you have been mourning along with us…. Thank you so much for caring about us and our little girl.”
The Salt Palace is at 100 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City.
