The "Like A Daisy" Kick-Off Event: Improving the Lives of the Special Needs Community

The "Like A Daisy" foundation has been started in honor of Samantha Eliades, who had Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). Samantha passed away, unexpectedly, on September 28, 2023, from a pulmonary embolism, which shocked her family and her extended community. Although Samantha's 34 years of life involved her enduring her challenging disability, Samantha lived a life filled with immense joy, lots of laughs, travel and culture, singing and dancing, and she was surrounded by a tremendous amount of love from her family and friends. Samantha truly was a bright light, and she impacted everyone who knew her, without even trying.  She was, and continues to be, loved by all who knew her, and it has been apparent that her impact on the world has truly survived her.   

In light of this tremendous loss, Samantha's family has decided to start the "Like A Daisy" foundation, with the mission of enhancing and improving the lives of the special needs community through connecting them to their faith, organizing social events, and advocating for their specialized care. The foundation is called "Like A Daisy" because that was one the famous Sam-ism's that she would say, meaning to say that she "slept like a baby" but instead saying "she slept like a daisy." In fact, she told her sister, Marissa, that she slept like a daisy on their last phone call, the day before she passed.

The "Like A Daisy" Kick-Off fundraising event will be held on September 28th at SoulCycle-Roslyn, which is the anniversary of Samantha's passing, commemorating her life and the legacy she will leave behind. All donations will contribute to the mission of bringing joy to a community of individuals who are so often overlooked and supporting their incredible families.  

Thank you for the tremendous support - we are so grateful and excited for what's to come!