Hundreds of kilometres from her home, Morrigan Daniels-Dion is grieving the loss of her five-year-old from a hospital bed, unable to walk.
Lilith Eskilson Daniels-Dion White is being remembered by her mother as “light and joy.”
RCMP have said the minivan carrying Daniels-Dion’s family collided with what they believe was a stolen pickup truck on a highway south of Cold Lake on Jan. 13.
RCMP have charged a 34-year-old Bonnyville man with numerous offences including failure to stop at an accident scene causing death, two counts of failing to stop at an accident causing injury and theft of a motor vehicle.
Daniels-Dion, 27, her partner Chase John, 30, and their 10-month-old daughter Charlie all survived — but their pain goes far beyond their physical injuries.
“Emotionally, I’m devastated and I’m wrecked,” Morrigan Daniels-Dion told CBC News from her room in Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospital on Monday.
“This is one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to go through in my life.”
For eight days, Daniels-Dion has lain in her hospital bed more than 260 kilometres away from her home on Frog Lake First Nation, processing the death of her child.
“This past week has been excruciating pain,” said Daniels-Dion. “It’s been different in the worst way possible.”
Along with the emotional turmoil, there has been serious physical pain as well.
Daniels-Dion said she has two broken ankles, a broken tibia and multiple broken ribs, along with other injuries. John’s injuries include two broken femurs, broken ribs and a break in his upper arm.
Both Daniels-Dion and John have undergone operations, and Daniels-Dion is waiting for further surgeries before she can be released.
“They said we’re going to be here for a long time,” she said.
Charlie sustained mild bruising on her back.
WATCH | Tragic collision involving stolen truck in Alberta:
The pain of Lilith’s passing is also rippling through the Cree community of Frog Lake.
On Monday, more than 200 community members, friends and family gathered in the gym at Chief Napeweaw Comprehensive School for a vigil to honour Lilith’s life.
“[Lilith’s death] has greatly impacted us,” said Neyosa Quinney, principal of the pre-kindergarten to Grade 6 school. Quinney is an aunt to Lilith’s stepfather, John, but said she considered herself a grandma to the girl as well.
“I don’t know if [the students] all fully comprehend what has happened, but they feel the heaviness.
“We have a lot of sad students right now and especially our staff feel it the most.”
The vigil saw students, band council members and elders praying, offering consolation and emphasizing the need to support one another in the wake of the tragedy.
Photos of a smiling Lilith with family and friends adorned a small stage decorated with flowers, balloons and fluffy teddy bears — her favourites.
Handwritten notes on pink paper hearts cover a section of a wall beside Lilith’s kindergarten classroom.
Students flocked to decorate large posterboards laid out on the gym floor with messages of support for Lilith and her family, an ask from Daniels-Dion that Quinney ensured was honoured.
“It’s comforting to know that there are people here who love her and support her,” said Quinney.
Since the collision, Quinney said she has visited Morrigan and Chase in hospital, and has been caring for baby Charlie. She said the support from the wider community, including the Frog Lake Education Authority and elders — along with traditional practices like a pipe ceremony — have kept her going.
“And also her 10-month-old little sister,” said Quinney. “She brings light to us and she brings comfort to us. That’s how we’ve been able to get by.”
Quinney said her school plans to honour Lilith during the 2026 kindergarten graduation ceremony, and Herb Stanley, treasurer for the Frog Lake Education Authority, said a yurt at the First Nation’s new land-based language camp will be named in honour of nêhiyaw-iskwêsis, or the Cree girl.
Daniels-Dion and her mother Sheila expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of community support from Daniels-Dion’s hospital room, and said friends and relatives have been bringing food, clothes and offering assistance in a myriad of ways.
“Everybody is doing their part and supporting us and helping us without us having to say anything,” said Daniels-Dion.
“We’re just so blessed because it takes a village, and we fortunately have that village.”
