If you drive down U.S. Highway 17 in Downtown Satsuma, you’ll come across a gas station, a farmer’s market, and a curious looking building painted light purple. If you stop and take a closer look, you’ll see that purple building is now the center of a foundation aimed at helping to bring Haleigh Cummings home.
“Anyone that wants to is welcome to come down here and share information, come down and show their support,” said Jeremiah Ragan, a family friend.
The foundation is called “The Haleigh Bug” foundation. When Haleigh was a baby, her mother would call her “Haleigh Bug”. Now, the name serves as a reminder that the little girl may be gone, but not forgotten.
“The focus has just been to get the community back together, to get this going again, get some fuel on the fire,” said Ragan.
The building has two rooms and a bathroom. It’s set up much like an apartment with a couch, television and refrigerator. The original memorial site, near Haleigh’s home, had to be moved. So all of the donations left at the original area have been moved here. The walls are filled with cards and pictures, and the entire second room of the building has been filled with toys and stuffed animals people have brought by to share with Haleigh’s family.
Eventually, family friends say they’d like to see the Haleigh Bug Foundation change into more of a nationally recognized organization aimed at helping mothers who have lost their children.
“Our goal eventually is to develop this into a charity who helps families of missing children, and we want to allot them a certain period where they don’t have to worry about going to work, how they’re going to take care of the bills. We’re also looking for a career path for Crystal too, to keep her mind going…to keep her strong so I was thinking there’s nobody better to head this up than someone going through this themselves and she’s very excited about it,” said Ragan.
Also inside of the Haleigh Bug Foundation headquarters is a stuffed bear which holds very special meaning for Haleigh’s mother. The bear is named Noah, and says a poem when his palm is squeezed. When the poem was played for us, Crystal Sheffield started crying and was immediately comforted by friends. Below is the complete poem the bear says:
“I miss you so much, that if I try to hold my arms apart to show you how much I miss you I would need arms long enough to touch the Milky Way and I would still fall way short. You see when you’re gone it feels like there’s a window in my heart and I sit there looking out waiting and wondering when you’ll be back. I miss you, because whenever you gave me your hand I thought that God was lending me a hand. When you’re gone I eat alright, but I’ve discovered that a full stomach can be right next to an empty heart.
When you’re gone, it’s not just that I miss you, it also feels like part of me is missing…It’s the silence between the notes that makes the music, and I miss our silences. Because I miss you. I know you’re a blessing in my life Peace and Blessings, Noah.”
Family friends say Crystal Sheffield would not put the bear down the day it was given to her by another friend. Now, the bear sits on top of the refrigerator inside the Haleigh Bug Foundation, and friends say Crystal has talked about playing the poem for Haleigh whenever she comes home.
Other Haleigh Cummings Updates
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