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Family, friends celebrate life of ‘Princess Lacey’ at Breslin Center (VIDEO)

lacey

Thursday night at the Breslin Center on the Michigan State campus, family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of 8-year old Lacey Holsworth. Holsworth, whose fighting spirit was a source of inspiration for many, lost her lengthy bout with cancer on April 8.

Among those inspired by Holsworth was former Michigan State forward Adreian Payne, whom she referred to as her “Superman.” As part of Thursday’s ceremony Payne performed a “silent dunk” with his teammates looking on from underneath the basket. Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press wrote a story about the night, which included a video tribute from Holsworth’s mother, Heather.

Then it was time for Heather’s taped tribute. She said her “heart is screaming” as she mourns her daughter, who she called “a tomboy with a tutu.”

“There’s not enough pages in a book to do her justice,” Heather said, and she told of her daughter’s determination to beat her brothers in a race when she was 5 years old.

“The crazy thing?” Heather said. “She did it all in a skirt. And that’s what Lacey was. A mixture of grace and grit.”

Above is a video put together in Lacey’s honor by the Michigan State athletic department.