This holiday season is bittersweet for the Howe family of Mt. Lebanon. On November 24, community members and friends gathered outside their Seneca Drive home, now transformed into a dazzling display of lights to honor the memory of Beckett Howe, who passed away in July. Born in 2019 with severe cerebral palsy, Beckett brought joy and strength to all who knew her.

“She wasn’t able to walk, talk or eat anything. But through all of that, through all the hard days and all of her limitations, she was always smiling,” said Brooke Howe, Beckett’s mother. “She made us stronger just by being there.”

The lighting ceremony was part of the annual Joy Home initiative organized by Sarah Todd and Carly Sweeney, co-owners of Uptown Speech on Washington Road. Each year, they choose a local family facing hardship and transform their home into a festive beacon of hope and love.

“This is our third year, which is really exciting,” said Todd, a Crescent Drive resident. “When we opened our business, we wanted to make sure we gave back to Mt. Lebanon and were involved in the community that we’re so proud to be a part of.”

Uptown Speech invites nominations each year from friends, neighbors or family members who wish to honor someone in Mt. Lebanon. This year, Jordan Barson of Marlin Drive East, a lifelong friend of the Howe family, spearheaded the effort in honor of Beckett.

“I texted my group of friends, Brooke’s sister and everyone I could think of to make sure they knew about it,” Barson said. “The Howes have endured such heartache this year. Beckett lit up every room, so it’s only fitting that their house will light up the holiday spirit within all of us.”

Attendees enjoyed snacks and festive music, offering support to the family during their first holiday season without Beckett. Hot chocolate sales during the event raised $600 for Outreach Teen and Family Services.

“Decorating for the holidays has been hard because everything reminds me of Beckett,” Howe said. Being selected as a Joy Home recipient made it a little easier while creating a “core memory” for her younger daughters, Elin, 3, and Harlow, 9 months.

Beckett’s grandmother, Barbara Woods, Oxford Boulevard, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support. “This community showed its heart. Everyone is there for each other, and that support meant everything to my daughter and son-in-law, Christopher,” she said.

Woods cared for Beckett as her home health aide for six months. “She was the most beautiful little girl. No matter how much pain she was in, she always had a smile on her face,” she said. “My daughter and son-in-law were wonderful parents to her.”

For Todd and Sweeney, both graduates of Mt. Lebanon High School, the Joy Home project is a way to give back to the community that shaped them.

“This is the best way to end our year. It reminds us of how special Mt. Lebanon is,” Sweeney, Greenhurst Drive, said.

Barson echoed that sentiment. “Mt. Lebanon is home. My high school friends are still my core group today,” she said. “When Beckett passed, it broke all of our hearts. Brooke’s family would do anything for anyone, and this is a way to give back to them.”