MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nearly three weeks after Sequoia Samuels was first reported missing by her mother and then was found dead near her home, her family and loved ones gathered at new Bellevue Baptist Church to memorialize her.
Four-year-old Sequoia Samuels was a "miracle baby" whose life was celebrated Saturday. Loved ones remembering the little girl said she brought their family together unlike anyone else.
Though she lived a short life, they said she overcame many obstacles.
"We celebrated together anytime she made progress," Sequoia's grandfather Clayton Jackson said. "From when she took her first steps, to saying her first words."
Sequoia had a medical condition that caused her to need a feeding tube.
She was first reported missing June 15. Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted with the search, which lasted just under a full day.
Her body was found in a trash can near her home.
"You really were a strong miracle baby," Jackson said of Sequoia. "Losing you doesn't feel right at all."
Family members styled in pink and white at the service to express their love for the toddler. Family members said they knew Sequoia was "smiling down" on them as they celebrated her memory.
"Someone snatched my heart out of my chest, and nobody can replace that every day," Jackson said. "I wish it was a dream."
Samuels mother and her boyfriend are charged in connection with Sequoia's death.
Family members at the service said so "say something" if something isn't right. They said "it does not matter who is going to get mad at you. We have to stand together to protect our children."
Sequoia's mother, Brittney Jackson, is charged with child neglect, abuse of a corpse and false offense reporting. Brittney Jackson's boyfriend, Jaylon Hobson, is charged with false reporting as well.
Hobson's case is headed to a grand jury, and a mental evaluation was ordered for Brittney Jackson.