Community celebrates life of Allana Staiano after hit-and-run death

Hundreds of people paid their respects to the family of a 14-year-old Allana Staiano in North Fort Myers who was killed in a hit-and-run crash recently.

Christine Gray, Allana’s mother, was met with hugs and support Friday for the memorial service of her daughter.

During the days after Allana’s death, the community rallied around her family after a driver hit and killed her, never stopping to try and help.

Everyone struggled to fight back the tears, as they said their final goodbyes to Allana. Family and friends kept the ceremony positive and reflected on the life Allana lived and the lives she touched along the way.

Allana’s mother invited anyone who knew Allana to her memorial service, hoping to hear what she meant to them.

“She meant a lot to me a lot, a lot,” close friend Elizabeth Donaldson said.

The one thing we heard continuously overheard was that Allana was an angel, and everyone loved her.

“She’s literally just an angel,” Donaldson said. “She comes around you and she makes your whole mood just lighten up. It doesn’t matter what you’re going through, what she’s going through. She has a smile on her face and you’re going to smile with her.

Close family friends also talked about how large this memorial has grown since Allana died. Loved ones went back there after Allana’s celebration of life. They plan on keeping it there to make sure she’s never forgotten.

And close family friends are thankful for how the community came together for Allana and the ones who loved her.

“Walking from the cross, to coming here, to this memorial, there’s been so many different faces I’ve seen,” Donaldson said. “So many people from the school, people from Suncoast, people from New York, just everywhere.”

And community members were there for Allana’s mother to comfort her during tragedy.

“It’s most definitely touched her heart,” Donaldson said.