In a post on Facebook, Stacy Stevens said that her daughter’s full name, Mary Barrett Stevens, is written on a square sticker on the monkey, which is by the brand Jellycat. At least 27 campers and staff members from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer retreat on the banks of the river, were on the list of victims who lost their lives due to the catastrophic flood.
Mary is among the campers and counselors who died at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, the region that witnessed the worst impact of the flood. At least 120 people have lost their lives in central Texas since the July 4 disaster. At least 173 people are still missing, according to officials. Those missing include five campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic.
“Looking for my daughter’s monkey that she has had her whole life and took with her to camp,” Stacy Stevens’s Facebook post read. “We lost my daughter and would love to have it back, as it was her most prized possession,” the post further read.
Stacy Stevens said Mary was “fearless,” “enthusiastic,” and “full of joy” in a statement shared with the Austin American-Statesman. “Our world is shattered, but I have peace getting your letters and knowing you were having the time of your life at camp and had a dance party with all of your friends before the Lord decided to take you from us,” Stacy wrote. “He has bigger plans for you.”
Friends and family of the Stevens family, in a GoFundMe organized for their daughter Mary, describe her as a child who touched the hearts of anyone she met. “Her laughter was infectious, her heart was generous, and her presence brought joy and comfort,” according to the fundraiser.Mary Stevens attended Highland Park Elementary School in north-central Austin. She is survived by her parents, Stacy and Johnny, and her siblings, Graham and Lilly, who, according to the GoFundMe campaign, “are now navigating unimaginable grief.”
