PORTLAND, Ore. — A Gresham mother lost her young daughter in an instant over the weekend.
“It's really hard, I don't think any of us could have been prepared for this in any capacity,” said Victoria Martins Mead, mother of 9-year-old Baylei. Baylei was a red-headed bundle of love and good energy, hit and killed by a car Saturday evening.
“She was so strong and so happy and so vibrant, and all she was trying to do was get her sisters shoes from the bottom of the stroller,” said Martins Mead.
The Gresham mother said she and Baylei and her 2-year-old daughter, Maggie, were walking home from a fun outing just before 6 p.m. Saturday, when a fast-moving car jumped the curb and hit them along Northwest Eastman Parkway in Gresham.
Baylei did not survive. Maggie has been in the intensive care unit at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital with a small skull fracture and some bad cuts on her face. Maggie should be going home soon and will be physically OK.
“She's recovering, she's hurt and she's scared," said Martins Mead. "She wants her sister very much. That was her best friend and she doesn't understand.”
It’s hard for anyone to understand the loss of a young girl, who was looking forward to getting back into the classroom soon as a third-grader at Meadows Elementary School.
Martins Mead said she had just ordered a new backpack and lunch pail for Baylei, who at 9 was already researching colleges for their veterinary school opportunities.
Suddenly and tragically the family's lives were turned upside down.
Martins Mead said she takes some comfort in knowing how loving Baylei was. A memorial growing for her along a Gresham roadway is proof she was loved back.
“She made the world better. She made your day better. If you weren't having a good day, she'd make you feel better, she'd do everything she could.”
There is a GoFundMe that family set up to help Victoria handle the financial burdens she now faces, as well.