ON Monday June 29, the family of Ava Byrne and staff from St Comgall’s PS, Antrim came together for the blessing and dedication of the hAVAn.
The hAVAn is a dedicated memorial space for Ava, a pupil from the school who died in September 2019 from an inoperable spinal tumour.
Mrs Murphy, Ava’s classroom assistant, lit a candle to represent the light she was in the lives of everyone present that afternoon.
The prayer and dedication was led by Fr Sean Emerson, who is chair of the governors and chaplain to the school.
After listening to one of Ava’s favourite songs, the family and staff prayed for her as they remembered her amazing smile and zest for life and learning.
Ava loved going to school. She never missed a day before she became sick and even when she was sick, her parents made sure she attended as often as she could.
She ran through the door each morning, ready to learn, ready to love and be with her friends. She also loved Elaine’s cooking at school meals.
Principal Jim Matthews said: “It is hoped that having a central space in school to remember Ava means that anyone in the school will be able to use the hAVAn as a place of great discovery, adventure, creativity and calm.
"Having Ava’s name central to the word hAVAn will remind us that Ava will always be part of our school family.”
The decoration of the hAVAn is specific to the memory of Ava.
Leading us there is a swirl of blue sparkly stars with words she used a lot with her parents – a good lesson for everyone: “Always love to the moon and back...”
Surrounding the hAVAn are sunflowers, which represent one of the best loved pictures of Ava - in a field of sunflowers, with her wonderful big smile.
Bluebells, meanwhile, are a flower of Ava’s favorite colour, while butterflies and dragonflies represent the period of change in everyone’s life, the life of our school family, the life of Ava’s family and friends.
These graphics also remind us of the décor of Ava’s room in the NI Children’s Hospice.
Along with Mrs O’Donnell, Ava’s friends painted the trellising and have planted blue plants which will grow every year in her memory.
The school are very thankful to the ‘Links to Pink’ charity who have sponsored the decoration of the memory space.
As our sign says, we will use it to remember and say a prayer for our friend Ava. We miss her.
