CAYCE, S.C. — Faye Swetlik's mother paid tribute to her little girl at a public memorial for the child, calling the 6-year-old "magic" and saying that she loved everyone.
The memorial was held Friday night at Trinity Baptist Church in Cayce, and was the final public tribute to the little girl whose life was taken last week.
Dr. Eddie Coakley, senior pastor at Trinity Baptist, led the hundreds in attendance in prayer. At one point, he read a tribute to Faye that had been written by her mom, Selena.
Her mom wrote that Faye "was her everything" and that from the moment she was born, "everything I did I did for her."
She then explained how the little girl got her name.
"Faye is french for fairy. And when I was pregnant, she felt like fairies dancing around. And I always wanted her to believe in Magic. So she was dubbed Faye Marie. My little Fairy Marie. And magic, she was. From the day she was born.
"We taught her the beauty of magic in everything. And the most important type of magic that we taught her was love. Faye loved so hard. She loved everything and she loved everyone. There wasn't a single person she couldn't make smile."
"She wanted everyone to be as happy as she was and she never wanted to see people sad or hurting. And so she always tried to say a kind word to strangers and to give the best hugs. Her giggle was infectious. She lit up every room she walked into. One look in her bright blue eyes and the world was okay again."
"One of the best things about Faye was her uncanny ability to bring people together. Everyone here today is a testimony to that. Faye could bring completely different groups together for a common goal. She didn't like anyone fighting, so she made sure that they wouldn't fight. That was her superpower. She's a testament to all that we need is love. So long that we can love one another Faye's memory can carry on. "
"So I ask of you that when you leave here, any time you have a chance to, to love a little more, be a little bit more kind, to complement a stranger, to dance in the rain, to stop and smell the flowers, show just a little bit more love to everyone you meet, and just have a Faye day."
During the ceremony, a video montage of Faye was played that included her singing "You Are My Sunshine," which was her favorite song.