Hayden Danielle Butler's Obituary
Once upon a time (September 21,2013) our fairytale began.
The most incredible little human was born-a REAL warrior princess, she was named Hayden Danielle Butler.
Haydee was born fearless, mischievous, headstrong, self assured, sassy and fun loving. She loved to laugh, tease, eat and play hard. She rode her plasma car down the stairs, stood up on her four wheeler squealing with her hands in the air.
October 23, 2015 she was in an automobile accident that left her complete quadriplegic and vent dependent. She was in the PICU at Primary Childrens Hospital for almost six weeks, we were told that she’d never breathe, move, see, speak or laugh again having had a severely stretched spinal cord and both Anoxic and Traumatic Brain injuries. But, five MRIs later (all trying to prove brain death) she began to speak and was released to Country Life Care Center in Riverton Utah.
Hayden came back to us with the same personality, she loved princesses and became a true Warrior Princess. Her caregivers did daily fabulous daily intricate hairdos with crowns and bows.
She was able to choose what she wore and her nail polish colors, what she watched, which toys were with her, when even she got ice in her water.
CLCC caregivers and the other children were also her family.
Hay was very loved and cared for, we are eternally grateful for her loving health Angels.
Hayden said her hair was her superpower, she had a lot of fabulous thick hair!
Hay loved to hug and kiss-give big Woos with magnet nose and lips, tell stories, direct movies, tease and play pretend, her GSDs Glock and Tenno-Buddy-but more than anything she loved her mom.
She was addicted to her television and her iPad, both at the same time-memorizing everything she watched.
Her “Hayden Eye Dot” let her navigate her iPad by herself. She played games, shopped a lot on Amazon, took hundreds of silly selfies, watched her shows and made prank FaceTime hang up calls.
We miss them SO much.
I was blessed to be Haydees second best friend, I even got a second best friend unicorn ring but it had to be different than hers and moms ring-as she reminded me daily that mom was her best friend.
Hayden was pure light and love. She was the most creative, happy, beautiful child. I loved every single Hay Day-all nine plus years of my second childhood-SO blessed to be Haydens Grammy.
Quarantine stole a whole precious year from us being able to hug, touch or kiss her.
We got A Hay Ride (her wheelchair van) and handicap-converted our home in case that ever happened again.
Hayden had a great Christmas at home 2021, and we are SO thankful for our adventures of 2022.
Hay loved road trips! Playing I spy on our adventures to Copperton Park-where Angel Hands Foundation had a car show with all of Haydee’s Princess and Super Hero Friends, to Riverton park, the zoo, the library, her fancy restaurant, Build a Bear, Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur museum and Tulip Festival, Mascot Miracles Trunk or Treat, Her Princesses came to her house to sing and dance, we dyed Easter eggs. Her Princesses and friends came to her ninth birthday party at Country Life.
So many times Hay had “the best day ever!”
Hay finally learned to read between August and November, full sentences and she read a whole book for Mom. (The secret was princess dolls-she named each doll that would help her read better the next day…it took all 16 dolls.)
Hay finally got to go to real second grade, on a real school bus at Riverton Elementary the last month of her life. She met four new best friends.
We tried everything to get movement in her limbs, she said a few weeks before passing “Can’t you people see that I’m perfect just the way I am?”
She was absolutely perfect.
Her paralysis was never an obstacle to her, she just closed her eyes and had great adventures.
Kidney stones and/or the extreme surgery on her kidney stones caused Sepsis and we lost Hay November 16, 2022.
God gave us the two greatest gifts ever bestowed on this planet, his Son and my Granddaughter Hayden.
I believe in eternity we will be with Hay living Happily Ever After.
Hayden is survived by her Mother Kyrie Butler, Grammy Patty Todd, Grumpy Mike Shedden, Dustin and Lori, Step Father Michael Cumming, Father Jake Smithwick, Cousin Allie Riley, her dog Tenno Buddy, and by her beloved caregivers who made her life a real fairytale.
Please join us for A Celebration of Haydens Life:
Riverton Dome on Saturday-February 11, 2023 from 2-6 p.m.
1452 West 12600 South
Riverton Utah
What’s your fondest memory of Hayden?
What’s a lesson you learned from Hayden?
Share a story where Hayden's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Hayden you’ll never forget.
How did Hayden make you smile?