Twelve-year-old Lillian Gracie Hux left this world brighter than she found it.

Her legacy shines on in spite of her absence, said her mother, Glenda Hux. That’s why Lillian’s parents, family and friends will gather in her memory Saturday to celebrate her spirit and raise money for cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, a disorder that affects the heart, facial features and the skin, and causes developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Lillian died in her sleep March 11, 2017, due to a seizure. Her mother contacted CFC International to find out how to make sure that didn’t happen to anyone else.

“After many conversations with CFC International and friends wishing to preserve Lillian’s legacy by spreading the joy Lillian embodied, Lillian’s Legacy Shine On was born,” Hux wrote in a blog. “Lillian’s birthday is the perfect time to gather in joy to celebrate who she was and the blessings we received by loving her. We don’t want to be alone on that date. Come join us and help us celebrate every good and perfect gift from above.”

Lillian’s 13th birthday came April 22 last year, just a month after the Huxes lost their daughter. Their grief was raw and their remembrance of their daughter’s birth was done with just a few friends and family close by their side.

They still don’t want to be alone on her birthday, but this year they’re ready to let others share in remembering her loving spirit while raising money to benefit CFC International to fund seizure research.

The 5K run/walk and Family Fun Day begins at 8:30 a.m. in front of Betty’s Eat Shop. Registration is $25 for adults and $20 for students 18 and under.

There will also be a children’s parade after the race, complete with masks and capes for the kids and decorations for bikes or scooters.

“Lillian loved people,” Hux said. “This is our gift to the community, to celebrate Lillian’s legacy. It would be the most fitting thing to do.”

Hux said despite her numerous visits to hospitals and doctors, Lillian kept her spirit shining bright.

“She was always joyful. She was always happy,” she said. “Those who knew her can shine on and carry on those same principals.”

Lillian was a student at Loyd Star Elementary, where she is still loved by so many.

“Lillian embodied pure joy,” said Katie Furr, who works in the Lincoln County School District. “She had a way of making others join in with her in a way I’ve never seen. Whether she wanted someone to sing with her or play with her, she always convinced kids and adults to have fun with her.”

Furr said Lillian’s love and light were contagious.

“So on the weekend of her 14th birthday, we as her family and friends want to share that love and light with each other and with our community,” Furr said. “That’s important to us, to shine on for her. And to take what we can do and help fund research to shine light for other families in the same walk of life.”

Loyd Star Principal Robin Case said Lillian is missed at the school.

“Lillian was our sweet ray of sunshine,” she said. “She had an infectious personality that lit up every room and every one.”

For those who cannot attend the Lillian’s Legacy event Saturday, donations can also be made to cfcsyndrome.org in Lillian Hux’s name. All funds raised through Lillian’s Legacy will be used for seizure research.