On July 31, 2019, at the age of ten months and thirteen days, Mary-Michael June Taber was the first of her family to attain sainthood. The youngest of seven siblings, she spent her last moments on earth surrounded by most of the loving family who had cared for her tirelessly every second since she was born. She is survived by parents Andy and Carmen; siblings Victoria, Samuel, Hannah, Grace, Abigail, and James; grandparents, grandmas Joan and Yoli, and grandpa David; aunts Jen and Laura, and uncle Kevin; and many other aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends.

Before her birth, Mary-Michael was diagnosed with a rare disease called alobar holoprosencephaly (HPE), which meant that her brain would not develop normally and would be unable to perform basic functions. She was unanimously deemed ‘incompatible with life’. Our family mourned, but resolved to cherish every second we got to spend with our littlest member. While she was still in utero, we talked to her and sang to her every day – she would even”dance” to the beat of her favorite songs, kicking in perfect time. Even before she took a breath, she was utterly, wonderfully human.

She was born on September 18, 2018, amid the assurances of many doctors that she would not live long – maybe ten minutes, maybe an hour. We held her, kissed her, and sang her all of her favorite songs, expecting each fragile breath to be her last… but, miraculously, she kept breathing. She persisted in life. Against all odds, Mary-Michael lived for an incredible 316 days. Some days were very hard – she suffered with seizures and various difficulties – but they were some of the best days of our lives.

We learned so much from our little girl. It was a struggle living with the shadow of her death over us, but it made us all wake up and realize something: that none of us truly know which heartbeat will be our last. Every new second is rare and precious; don’t take it for granted. Give that extra hug before you leave for work. Call your parents and tell them you love them. Smile at strangers. Sing while you do the dishes. Make every moment count. That’s what she came here to teach us, and I like to think of her in heaven, grinning down at us with her adorably odd little smile and knowing she succeeded in her mission. We love you, dear Mary-Michael. Thank you for everything.

A memorial service will be held at Beard’s Funeral Chapel in Fayetteville at 12:00 PM on Saturday, August 3, 2019.

The family will receive friends from 10:30 until service-time at the funeral home on Saturday.

Interment will follow in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Fayetteville.