She loved to dance

Reprinted with permission.
It’s what she would have wanted.”
During their time in Rochester, the Butterworths had painted the nails of their thumbs, index fingers and pinkie
fingers pink bright pink — Maddy’s favorite color — and held their hands in the American Sign Language
symbol for “I love you,” in which those digits are raised while the middle and ring fingers point toward the palm.
They decided to remember the many moments of joy Maddy had brought to their lives and named them Maddy
Moments, raising their hands in the “I love you” gesture whenever anyone brought up a happy Maddy memory.
As Maddy’s body was wheeled toward the operating room to harvest her organs, her family raised their hands
in the affectionate gesture one last time.
Joyful presence
Maddy was a born performer. Sparked by a sense of joy those who knew Maddy describe as an inner light, she
often skipped down the hallways at Locust Lane School while her classmates walked. She spontaneously
broke out in song and dance wherever she was, spreading happiness to people around her.
Maddy often choreographed song-and-dance routines, performing frequently for relatives and friends in the
living room of her Locust Lane home.
Sometimes she even performed for her beloved American Girl dolls.
Dancing at the Eau Claire School of Dance was among Maddy’s favorite activities.
“Maddy came to life when she danced,” Hoff said. “She loved performing, plain and simple. She had it inside of
her to do that.”
Show of support
Jan. 6 was an emotional day at Locust Lane School. School officials had learned from Maddy’s parents the girl
had died.
They strategized about how best to inform the students of the girl’s death. School counselor Jodi Hubbard had
the difficult task of informing Maddy’s kindergarten classmates.
She told them that Maddy had died, and many of them began to cry.
Amid their grief, the school’s students and staff found a resilient ray of hope. They had learned of the Maddy
Moments gesture, and staff and students, men and women, boys and girls, painted the nails of their thumbs,
index and ring fingers bright pink in Maddy’s honor. They gathered on the school playground for a photo, their
hands raised in the “I love you” gesture. The gesture spread.
Northstar Middle School students painted the digits on their nails as well, Hoff said, as did some members of
North High School basketball teams. The Butterworths received cards of support in the mail, some from friends,
and many from people they didn’t know.
“So many people in this community rallied around our family when they heard about Maddy’s death,” Hoff said.
“It meant so much to us.”
Birth of an idea
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