- Valorie Marietti built an all-abilities playground in Helper to honor her son.
- Jace, who had Cockayne syndrome, inspired the community project with his kindness.
- The playground, completed after five years, promotes inclusivity and community healing.
HELPER – A Utah mom grieving the loss of her son gave back to her community in a labor of love that benefited kids of all abilities.
Valorie Marietti wanted to honor her late son Jace by building an all-abilities playground. It was a big task that took years and a lot of love to finally finish.
Jace spread kindness to everyone he met despite battling health challenges.
"Jace had a genetic disorder called Cockayne syndrome. It is 100% fatal," Marietti said.
Jace rapidly aged in reverse. KSL featured Jace back in 2014 when he got to live out his dream of being a police officer for the day.
"He was 4 feet 2 inches and weighed all of 50 pounds," Marietti said. "But he was a very big spirit in a small body."
Jace passed away at the age of 17. His mom wanted to turn her grief into healing.
"It's very isolating having a child that's just not the typical kid," Marietti said. "I wanted to give the kids in this community the opportunity to play together."
With the help of a special needs teacher, Marietti created the nonprofit Friends of the Helper Area. They decided to build an all-abilities playground – the first one in Helper.
"It made me realize that if you want to raise children, and you want to build a community that accepts everyone, you start with the kids, and it starts with a playground," Marietti said.
It wasn't easy. Post-COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 money slowly poured in. Five years later, they raised enough funding, and on May 30, they opened the Helper Express Playground.
"There's so many people that have put hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours into this project, and to finally finish it is just an amazing thing," Marietti said.
The labor of love honored the memory of her son.
"For people who are grieving and have lost someone, try to do a good thing today," she said.
The group is still raising money to put in restrooms and more shaded areas. If you'd like to help, you can donate to the accounts* listed below.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
