PHOENIX — Nick and Alia Preston, both wearing pink, walked up to the center of the stage at LifeChurch in Gilbert Saturday. They were quiet as they each took a turn with the microphone. As they began to speak, tears fell.
"This is not something I ever wanted to have to do," Nick said.
"I will never have enough time to share everything about her," Alia said. "She was everything good and everything sweet in this world. She was my best friend, my sidekick and my girl. My baby girl."
They were speaking at their daughter's funeral. Four-year-old Mia Preston was hit by a car and killed while playing outside their family home. Her parents both shared memories of the young girl's life.
"The last opportunity I had with her was last Friday," he said. "I heard her singing outside so I jumped out there and she was spinning around in her dress. We had the opportunity to sit there and talk and I tickled her as much as I could. Looking back, maybe I should've given her more hugs then."
"Around the age of two, I put Mia in her first twirly dress, it was a little Cinderella dress and she thought it was an Elsa dress," Alia remembered.
Mia loved her family's nine chickens, the movie "Frozen" and playing with her mother's makeup. Her parents also shared how much she loved her three brothers and friends. Alia also shared how much her daughter treasured life, especially after her life was almost taken away.
"When she was two-and-a-half years old she fell into a pool in March 2022," Alia said. "Her father found her face down and rescued her from the water and by divine power he knew correct CPR and administered it for 17 minutes until paramedics arrived. And then they continued for 17 minutes until she got to the ER. And then for the next ten minutes, the nurses and doctors worked to try and revive little Mia."
The incident happened at a relative's house in Poway, California. Nick spoke with 12News' sister station CBS 8 in San Diego after the incident saying he remembered learning CPR in a high school class about 27 years prior.
On Saturday, Alia also shared the moments right after they arrived at the hospital.
"As a mother, I needed to know worst case and best case and the only thing they said to me was she was without a heartbeat and oxygen for at least 20 minutes and that's a very long time," she said. "I felt very helpless."
Mia though was a miracle. She began to recover and remarkably, an MRI showed no brain damage.
"I knew I was granted a miracle," Alia said. "Mia's survival is the exception and she's a pure miracle. She was brave and strong and learned to love to swim."
"Mia's mission was to make us a better family and she did that," Nick said. "I'll miss her dearly and I know I'll see her again and that gives me peace."
Her family says in four short years, Mia made a mark in this world that will always be remembered. Her smile, generosity and love for others, they say, will be missed but cherished.
"I love you my sweet girl forever and always," her mom said. "I love you more than all the stars in the sky. God gave me a perfect girl and I'm so thankful my life was filled with her these past four years."
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