'Like a lightning bolt' from heaven: RI mom senses late daughter's hand after winning new BMW
Grace Reddington suffered from Rett syndrome and was never able to speak in her 14 years on Earth, but her mother, Tara, believes Grace sent her a clear message from heaven this week.
It came in the form of a BMW 230i, which is painted purple, a color the Reddington family of Narragansett has long associated with Grace.
Tara Reddington won the car in a fundraising raffle for the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston. The winning ticket was drawn Thursday, on what would have been Grace's 18th birthday.
"It was like a lightning bolt that came out of heaven and hit me," Tara said.
What is Rett Syndrome?
According to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, "Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological disorder that occurs primarily in girls and more rarely in boys. Rett syndrome leads to severe impairments, affecting nearly every aspect of the child’s life," including the "ability to speak, walk, eat and breathe easily."
"The hallmark of Rett syndrome is near constant repetitive hand movements while awake," the foundation says. "Cognitive assessment in children with Rett syndrome is complicated, but we know that they understand far more than they can communicate to us, evidenced by their bright and attentive eyes, and their ability to express a wide spectrum of moods and emotions."
'It was unmistakably a message'
In her 14 years, Grace suffered a lot and spent much of her time in hospitals in Rhode Island and Boston, according to her mother. Tara Reddington and her husband, David, who works as a printer for The Providence Journal, have four other children -- Sam, 23, Ben, 21, Meg, 20 and Lily, 16.
Tara says she isn't the type to spend even a dollar on a lottery ticket, but she decided to chance $100 on the raffle because of the car's color. It's a color used often by the International Rett Syndrome Foundation and symbolic of efforts to find a cure.
"Anything that's purple catches my eye," Tara said. "I decided maybe it was a way of Grace saying, 'Go ahead, Mom, buy that ticket.' I said, 'You know what, if Grace is going to send me a message. I'm going to win that car.' "
Buying the ticket was a nice moment that made Tara feel closer to her daughter, but with nearly 1,951 tickets in the mix, she realized the odds were long. She figured she'd made a $100 donation to a good cause that supports girls, put the ticket away and mostly forgot about it.
When Tara received a telephone call telling her that she'd won, she couldn't believe it. She thought one of her kids was playing a joke on her. Convinced that she had indeed won, Tara says, "It was unmistakably a message."
"This little girl who couldn't speak and suffered her whole life broke through and connected with her mom on her birthday," Tara said.
Tara saw other signs. This was the club's 34th annual drawing, and 34 happens to be the family's house number. It was also the first time in all those years they'd raffled a purple vehicle. The Reddingtons have helped raise some $500,000 for Rett syndrome research through efforts like the Race for Grace. A cousin on Friday reminded Tara that she once tried convincing a car dealer to donate a purple car for that fundraiser.
"These dots just keep connecting," Tara said.
As of Friday, Tara hadn't picked up her sporty new car, worth about $40,000. Her kids keep asking, and she figures she'll get it next week.
"It could be a Matchbox car, and I'd still be happy," she said. "I'm so excited about the connection."
jperry@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7614
On Twitter: @jgregoryperry
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Narragansett mom feels message from late daughter in winning new car
