Quilt Square

Created in honor of Mariah Suleski-Perez

If ever there was an angel who came down to earth, it was Mariah on the day of her birth. Mariah had the most beautiful brown eyes and a smile that was a mirror of the joy in her soul. From an early age she loved people, especially helping them. As a young child, her favorite was her great grandfather who had dementia. She enjoyed spending time with him and always made sure he had everything he needed. In his final days when he was unable to recognize any family members, he would always smile and say “That’s my girl” when he saw Mariah’s picture. He passed away when Mariah was only six. She spoke at his funeral service about how much he was loved and placed a flower on the top of his casket. The funeral director later said it was the first time in forty years he had ever cried at a funeral.

When Mariah was just 5 years old, the pastor at church asked those who wished to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to please come forward. Without hesitating, Mariah immediately got up from her seat and walked down the aisle as multiple adults followed behind her. She was very forthcoming about her love and devotion to the Lord
Mariah was brave from a young age, often testing her limits on the playground. As she got older, she was witty, funny and enjoyed making people laugh. She loved being a Girl Scout growing up and singing songs she had learned on camping trips. She also loved swimming and the ocean. As she got older, Mariah developed a huge heart for animals and she kept her home full of God’s creatures. She had two beautiful cats, Bella and Stella; a beloved bearded dragon, Zazu; a gerbil, One-eyed Willie; and, hamster, Cookie.

With Mariah’s passion for helping people she was pursuing a career in criminal justice. Her true love, however, was being a Mommy to her baby girl, Athena Marie, born in October 2020. Motherhood put an extra sparkle in Mariah’s eyes and her heart just beamed with pride.

Mariah’s favorite movie of all time was The Lion King. She lived her life with a Hakuna Matata outlook and as Mariah’s beautiful daughter Athena grows up, she too will have no worries and will know that her Mommy “lives in her”.

Submitted by Paula, Donor Mother