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Remembering a princess warrior

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 8 months AGO
by DEVIN WEEKS
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | September 15, 2023 1:08 AM

The community is invited to pay tribute to a young honorary member of the Idaho State Police, Jaicey Lupton, who died Sept. 1 in Seattle.

A celebration of life will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Real Life Ministries, 1860 N. Cecil Road, Post Falls.

Jaicey was 8 years old.

“She was extremely fun and loving. She was extremely caring, but very rambunctious,” her mom, Jessica Lupton of Hayden, said Thursday.

Jaicey battled an undiagnosed terminal illness most of her life, accompanied by aneurysms and strokes. She endured never-ending tests and surgeries.

"She had this absolute drive for life, where even after all the surgeries and everything else, she absolutely never lost hope," Jessica Lupton said. "She was always willing to keep fighting for herself in the event that she needed to."

She described her daughter as a "princess warrior" who always took life head-on.

"She never shied away from any challenge," Lupton said. "She loved girly stuff, but she was as rough as they came. She loved gymnastics, she loved wrestling, she loved to sing, she loved all of her friends."

A lover of laughter, rainbows, unicorns, law enforcement and first responders, Jaicey was well known and celebrated by the Idaho State Police, which inducted her as an honorary member during a special ceremony May 31, 2022. ISP and other police agencies escorted the Luptons from Seattle when the family brought her body home Sept. 8.

"It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with this family and to pay our respects to Jaicey and the brave fight that she fought," ISP shared in a statement to The Press. "We want her to rest as peacefully as possible so we’re doing everything to make that happen."

Jessica Lupton chronicled Jaicey's journey on the Hope for Jaicey Facebook page.

"We really want to, at some point, help other people who have dealt with the same things we have," she said.

Those who attend the celebration are asked to bring chairs or blankets to sit on, as the event will be outside, and stuffed animals in lieu of flowers.

photo

Lupton

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Courtesy photo

Jaicey Lupton, center, is seen with dad Josh, mom Jessica and little bro Jaxon during the National Night Out event Aug. 1 in Hayden. A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday for Jaicey, who died Sept. 1. She was 8.

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