The inspiration for our CHARITY BY DESIGN pieces comes from a variety of places. For our new Side by Set of 2 supporting JDRF, it’s the amazing, selfless Kayla Donnelly Smith.
This past February, Kayla’s life was tragically cut short in an accident. In the story below, Kayla’s mother, Penny, shares her daughter’s unwavering passion for life and how her tireless efforts to raise funds and awareness for diabetes after her sister’s diagnosis are a constant reminder of how one person can leave a lasting legacy.
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What drives you to be a better person? Who inspires you? Kayla Donnelly Smith has inspired me for 22 years to be a better person, friend and mother. My life – the reason I get out of bed, go to work, and love as much as I do. Being an athlete is where she learned to have passion for others, determination, and focus on someone besides herself. Kayla began cheerleading when she was 5, which immediately became her drive. She learned through that hard work pays off, to never give up, and to never allow someone to say you can’t, while showing them you can if you want it. She was to graduate Southern Connecticut State University in December 2015 and wanted to be a physiologist so she could help people, save lives, and most importantly, make a difference. Kayla just wanted to be happy, smile, to love and be loved. She has inspired teammates, and coworkers to work harder and roommates and friends to love deeper, parents to be better to their children, and to live each day like it’s your last. She has taught us to love, laugh and breathe fully.
On February 2, 2015 Kayla was killed in an accident when a speeding car lost control and struck her and another pedestrian, taking both of their lives. In the nine months since she has passed, I have tried to continue on without her, to still live and breathe for us both. “JUST BREATHE, mom. It will be ok,” was her biggest mantra in life and death. Although Kayla was my only child, she has two half-sisters from her dad whom she loved and adored. She wrote her college exam on what it means to be a big sister stating, “Those little girls give me the courage to fight another day and try my hardest to show them it is possible to make your dreams come true. If someone pushes you down, get up, brush yourself off and try harder next time.”
When her sister Abigail was diagnosed three years ago with diabetes, we were all in a state of shock. The whole family did everything they could to learn about this disease to ensure sure Abby would still learn, love, and laugh; something Kayla would want all of us to continue to do. In efforts to help raise funds for JDRF we have walked with “Abby’s hope,” and since Kayla’s passing it is our mission to raise enough funds to help find a cure for this disease. In lieu of flowers, we had donations sent to JDRF because we know that Kayla would want every effort possible to help her sister.
After her death, Kayla’s two best friends, Emily and Alyssa, reached out to ALEX AND ANI about doing something in honor of Kayla because she connected to the brand so much. Once conversations began about Kayla’s passion, it made sense that the charity we would want to help raise funds for was JDRF. ALEX AND ANI was Kayla’s favorite company for so many reasons.
For their inspirational daily quotes, which became Kayla’s mantra of the day. For their beautifully designed charms because it allowed her to give gifts to the people most important in her life with such meaning behind each one and telling a story and she wanted to share with the world. She actually bought me my first bangle, which was the HERO charm. The funny thing is that she had it backwards – she was MY hero. She saved my life being born, giving me purpose. She was my best friend and not too many people can say that about their daughter – I was blessed to call her that. I am so honored to have been able to see ALEX AND ANI use Kayla as their inspiration to partner with JDRF and create the Side by Side Set of 2.
Since she has passed, she has been the inspiration and strength to many people, saving lives with her passion and love that lives on. What an amazing child I raised as I truly believe she still is able to make lives better every day for hearing her story of positivity. It is my hope that through these new bangles, we can continue to support JDRF in finding a cure for this childhood disease that has touched my family as well as so many others.
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Live in the New York City area? Come to ALEX AND ANI SoHo for a CHARMED BY CHARITY® (CBC) event hosted by Penny Smith. 15% of all sales will be donated to support JDRF. It’s a wonderful way to honor Kayla’s memory while supporting a cause close to her heart.
When: Saturday | November 21 | 10 AM – 12 PM
Where: ALEX AND ANI SoHo | 425 West Broadway | New York, NY 10012 | 646-484-5099
RSVP: soho@alexandani.com
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Update: We were honored to welcome Penny and her family into our SoHo location on Saturday for their in-store CBC event benefiting JDRF.
Due to the strong community Penny Smith has created around Kayla, her story, and passion for diabetes research and treatment, over 50 guests showed up to support the cause. Most of the attendees wore teal and purple; Kayla’s favorite colors and fittingly, colors representing JDRF. Stories of Kayla were shared, tears were shed, and lots of love filled the store.
The store sold out of the Side by Side Set of 2 over the course of the event, a testament of the love and support from guests.
Thank you to our ALEX AND ANI SoHo team, our events team, and all those who helped make this CBC a tremendous success!