The family of “Princess” Savannah Hurley miss the 7-year-old with all their hearts, but they are grateful that she is not hurting anymore.

Savannah died Aug. 1 in the arms of her parents, Brian and Melissa Hurley, after a three-year battle with cancer.

“We’re doing OK,” Melissa Hurley said in late December.

Savannah’s brother, Donovan, 4, asks to visit his sister’s grave often. Her sister, Kiara, 6, doesn’t talk much about it. She does wear her sister’s clothes to school and sleeps with a blanket that has a picture of Savannah on it, Melissa Hurley said.

There is no headstone to mark the grave at Lake View Cemetery in Wilton, but they have one in mind. The funeral cost more than anticipated and has delayed the purchase of a stone, on which they want to have an engraved picture of Savannah and a poem.

“It’s really simple but really sweet,” Melissa said. The poem reads: “Of all the dreams I prayed you be and the things you are, you’re once my little girl and now my shining star,” she said.

Savannah had a teddy bear that went everywhere with her and now rests on the couple’s bed. When anyone misses her, they go to the bed and snuggle with the bear and one of Savannah’s blankets.

It was difficult this year to hang up Christmas decorations, especially those specific to Savannah. “The hardest thing is the last two Christmases, Savannah had been in the hospital,” her mother said. “This year, just getting ready for Christmas was hard. It’s different for us.”

“It’s hard without her, obviously,” Melissa said. “We just take it a day at a time. Some days are harder than others.”

– Donna M. Perry