Joey Feek Had ‘High Hopes’ For Indy, 2, Born With Down Syndrome: Grieving Rory Feek Fulfills Singer’s Last Wish
Since Joey Feek and Rory Feek welcomed their daughter Indiana (nicknamed Indy) into the world just over two years ago, the little girl became one of their greatest delights. Then famed as the country music duo Joey + Rory, the Feek family soon became known for their love, courage, and strength after Joey was diagnosed with cancer. After losing her battle three weeks ago at 40, Joey is missed by all who knew her as well as those who followed her story via Rory’s blog, This Life I Live.
Now Feek, 50, is revealing through that blog how he and Indy are seeking to carry on without their beloved Joey, reported People.
Joey died in Alexandria, Indiana, on March 4, her own hometown. As she had wished, Rory and Indiana joined friends and family in an emotion-packed funeral service at their farmhouse, and also participated in a memorial service at the high school that Joey had attended.
The memorial services and tributes involving others have ended, and now Feek is left alone to raise Indy. The little girl was born with Down syndrome only months prior to the discovery that Joey had cervical cancer in 2014.
But although Joey is gone from his life, Feek is still carrying on her wishes for their daughter. Before she passed away, the country singer worked hard to look at different preschools for Indy and to figure out the right education for their daughter. Together, Joey and Rory chose High Hopes, a developmental center known for its focus on children.
Every morning, as Rory takes Indiana to school, he envisions Joey watching them.
“Looking down each morning as I take Indy into High Hopes, still smiling saying, ‘That’s the one honey… That’s the one.'”
Prior to her death, Joey was in hospice care and devoted time to practicing sign language with Indiana. As a result, now that the 2-year-old is in school, one of her goals is to learn to use those words verbally. And Indy is having a great time, revealed Rory.
“Loving every minute [at school, she is] making lots of new friends and loves being around all the other kids,” added Feek, noting that Indiana is learning to “start turning all the words that she can say with her hands into sentences she can say with her mouth…I can hardly imagine how special it will be when the time finally comes that she can walk beside me and talk with me.”
For Rory, taking Indy to preschool is also an acknowledgment of how Joey’s diagnosis of terminal cancer changed everything for the Feek family, noted Today.
“Joey had every intention of home-schooling Indy as she grew up. For many reasons. But life has changed that plan,” wrote Rory in his blog.
During the final months that Joey spent in hospice care, she and Feek made plans for their future, with Joey seeking to help Rory envision life without her. But despite all those plans, living life minus Joey remains a daily challenge. But Feek seeks to hold onto his faith.
“I believe that God gives us just what we need, when we need it. Sometimes it’s not what we had planned or what we thought we wanted, but if we keep an open mind… it just might even be better than what we originally hoped for.”
[Image via This Life I Live]
