The birthday decorations are nonetheless up from Brielle Beyer’s 12th birthday sleepover. Her mom Justyna strung fairy lights on particular person tents at their Aldie, Va. dwelling and embellished them with balloon friendship bracelets. Her father Andy popped buckets of popcorn for the women earlier than taking Brielle’s little brother to a Washington Capitals recreation.
“My spouse created golden reminiscences with Brielle — our hope was for those who give that to your youngsters, they will draw on it later once they’re an grownup having a tricky time. They will simply understand how beloved they have been they usually can simply draw on these particular instances once they undergo exhausting instances,” Andy Beyer tells PEOPLE. “I am actual unhappy that she does not get to try this, however I’ve little doubt that my daughter knew that she was unconditionally and wholeheartedly beloved by each of us.”
Andy’s spouse Justyna Beyer, 42, and daughter Brielle Beyer, 12, have been among the many 67 folks killed when American Airways Flight 5342 collided with a U.S. Military Black Hawk helicopter close to Reagan Nationwide Airport on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
“She was a joyful child — and we have been simply so fortunate to have her,” he says. “My spouse was a faithful and loving mom.”
Andy Beyer met Justyna in 2001. He grew up in Middletown, Conn. When she was 9, Justyna moved from Poland to New Britain, Conn., 13 miles from her future husband.
When he was a university scholar, highschool buddies launched him to Justyna. “We had this superior first date,” Andy recollects. “She met my mother and father instantly.”
They bought married July 17, 2010 – they deliberate to have a good time their fifteenth wedding ceremony anniversary by taking a household cruise this summer season.
“She was my soulmate in so some ways,” he says.”I may be fairly analytical. She introduced ardour and emotion to all the things with our household. She was the one which knew find out how to make each occasion particular.”
His spouse was a registered nurse who labored evening shifts within the emergency room till their first little one got here.
Brielle Magdalena Beyer was born Jan. 18, 2013.
“I beloved her the second I met her,” he remembers. “They handed her to me and we simply stared at one another. I fell in love along with her instantly.”
Brielle was recognized with neuroblastoma, a uncommon most cancers, when she was simply 4 months outdated. She had two main surgical procedures as an toddler. Nonetheless, Andy remembers her as a precocious, smiley child, who talked in full sentences earlier than she was 2 and skim chapter books by age 3.
“She was brilliant and located pleasure within the littlest moments of life,” Beyer says. “She was a present, a blessing, all the things I may have requested for in a daughter.”
Brielle started ice skating along with her mother and father when she was 18 months outdated. Her father performed ice hockey and her mom watched ice skating on TV. “My spouse appreciated all the things stunning – and she or he thought that was probably the most stunning sport,” he says. “When my daughter was born, she stated, ‘I feel she’s particular. I feel she’s meant to do that.’ ”
She started group skating classes when she was 4, then rapidly progressed to non-public classes.
“Determine skating is hard,” Andy says. “However she had a present.”
Her ice skating buddies on the rink turned her second household. “It was her joyful place,” he says.
Andy, a pc programmer, lately took a brand new place working for a inexperienced power firm so he may work remotely on the ice skating rink together with his daughter and after faculty at his 6-year-old son’s ice hockey follow. “So each youngsters knew they have been supported by each mother and father,” Andy defined.
On the weekends, the tween made breakfast for herself and her little brother. Then she and 6-year-old Kallen would watch Bluey and play with stuffed animals.
Skating within the Olympics was her dream, he says. However it wasn’t an unrealistic aim, he says. “It was attainable,” he says.
She additionally needed to be a lawyer when she grew up.
“One factor she was good at was getting you to say sure,” he says. “You could not be mad at her too, as a result of she may again it up in a method that simply made sense. Although she’s a child and also you knew you should not give in, you simply needed to give in to her as a result of she did it with a smile and she or he did it with a great argument.”
He drove his spouse and daughter to the airport earlier than they left for Kansas for a particular improvement camp for up-and-coming skaters. They texted and talked through FaceTime your entire journey.
Justyna and Brielle referred to as earlier than they left for the airport, and texted whereas they have been on the return flight.
His spouse texted Andy that she was given a free glass of wine; he now believes it should’ve been given to her by flight attendant Ian Epstein.
The final texts Andy obtained stated that they have been touchdown, love you, see you quickly.
“I used to be wanting ahead to giving them that hug, as a result of they have been gone for six days and I missed them a lot,” he says.
Andy was already on the airport and ready within the mobile phone lot. He at all times drove Justyna and Brielle to the airport and picked them up. Although it was previous Kallen’s bedtime, the 6-year-old was with him.
“He needed to see mother,” Beyer says. Kallen needed a hug, too.
Monitoring the flight on the airline app, Andy noticed Flight 3542 was truly touchdown slightly bit early. “That they had a tailwind or one thing,” he recollects.
The app stated the aircraft landed, however his textual content messages to his spouse, as an alternative of being inexperienced, have been all of the sudden blue.
He thought possibly they turned off their telephones for touchdown. Then he noticed the hearth vans.
“At that time I already knew,” he says.
Andy has been surrounded by family and friends because the crash. Pals who’ve been telecommuting made his home their dwelling workplace so he will not be alone. His mother and father dropped all the things and drove down from Virginia to Connecticut.
“They didn’t even take their medicines or garments or something,” he says of Brielle and Kallen’s grandparents. “They’ve been staying right here. They’ve been a lifeline.”
Thursday was his son’s first day again to high school. Whereas Kallen was there, Andy visited cemeteries on the lookout for a remaining resting place for his beloved spouse and daughter.
A GoFundMe has been established to assist pay for his or her funerals and to permit Andy to spend extra time together with his grieving son.
He needs folks to recollect the enjoyment his spouse and daughter had.
“There’s nothing extra essential on this world than love. And we had a number of it,” Andy says. “We have been actually residing our dream. It’s actually exhausting to imagine that it’s over.”