Fairytale party thrown for Norton girl battling terminal disease

BROOKFIELD, Mass. — A 6-year-old Norton girl who is battling terminal mitochondrial disease had a fairytale celebration of life thrown for her Monday.

Aubriella Derosier arrived before her guests in a horse-drawn Cinderella carriage at Oakholm Farm in Brookfield. Her parents, Jamie and Jeremy Derosier, escorted her down a flower-adorned aisle and said their vows to their daughter, as friends and family wiped away tears.

“You were my greatest gift from the beginning, and I love you so much,” mom Jamie said. “Thank you for choosing me as a mom.”

“I want you to know that no matter where we go, no matter where we’re at, you’re there, too,” dad, Jeremy, added. “You’re a fighter. I love everything you’ve done. I’m honored to be your father.”

The parents placed rings on their daughter’s finger and danced to her favorite techno music as bubbles filled the air. A fairy and a horse dressed up as a unicorn completed the party fit for a princess.

“Our daughter is our whole world, and just this is – literally, I’m still taking it all in,” said mom, Jamie. “We wouldn’t have those things that you take for granted as a mom, that you’re going to be at your child’s wedding one day. And unfortunately, we weren’t able to have that with our son.”

Aubriella’s baby brother, Bryce, died of the same genetic disease at just 16 months old. The disease strips away muscle and brain function, and eventually, the body shuts down, Jamie explained. Aubriella is now on hospice, and her parents are fitting as many happy moments as they can with her.

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The idea for Monday’s event started as a small picnic but quickly took off with Oakholm Farm offering the venue free of charge and vendors providing every magical detail.

“It’s unfathomable to enjoy this special occasion with our daughter at the hands of so many helpful and supportive people that put this on for us,” dad Jeremy Derosier said.

Despite the heartache Aubriella’s parents are enduring, they do not feel unlucky, but rather, blessed. And they have only hoped to make their children feel as lucky as they do.

“We didn’t know that we were carriers [of the gene] the moment that they were born,” Jamie said. “But we are going to love them for every second that they’re allowed to bless us with.”

To help the Derosier family cover medical expenses and time away from work, you can donate to a fundraising page here.

Vendors who donated their services include Oakholm Farm, Mariah Gale Creative (photography), Blanket and Basket RI/styling by Jennifer Hopgood, Pastor Matt Zimmerman, Tira Brooks (cake), Welsh Creek Farm (Tinkerbell horse), Leah Shattuck (princess carriage), Maria Pelletier (fairy and makeup), Dragonfly Farm (flowers), Victoria Austin (hair), Krista Cimino (hair), BT’s Smokehouse (food), Dad and Daughter Designs (wooden details), BP’s Easy Living (cleaning).

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