Despite what the note she left by her mom’s bed promised, 17-year-old Mackenzie Forrest never made it home.
“It said ‘Mom, I’ve just got a lot going on in my head right now,’” her mother, Denise Forrest, said. “’I’m going to take a drive. I have my phone with me. I’ll be home soon.’”
Hours later, the Lakewood High School basketball star lost control of her vehicle on Interstate 70 near Frisco. She was taken to St. Anthony’s Hospital, and passed away Sunday night.
Mackenzie wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
Her parents knew she wanted to be an organ donor. Her heart, her lungs, her liver and her kidneys will save six lives.
“I hope that they get Mackenzie’s spirit, because her spirit was so beautiful,” Denise said.
Even though Mackenzie– known as “Little Mac” -- was small by basketball standards, she played big.
So big that she earned a scholarship to play at Regis University in the fall. And so big that her death reverberated across the state, as teammates and opponents alike remembered a girl with a fierce competitive drive who was like a coach on the court.
Mackenzie was Lakewood High School’s all-time leading scorer, and known for studying videos of her opponents before games.
“She showed her happiness,” Denise said. “She was very passionate. She showed it deeply. But she also felt things deeply.”
Mackenzie was passionate about her basketball shoes, loud socks, Steph Curry, Harry Potter, her coach, her friends, her faith and her family.
Even though she had offers to play basketball out of state, she was so worried about her brother – a freshman -- she chose to play at Regis instead.
The day before she died, the girl who was normally seen in a t-shirt and backwards hat went shopping for prom dresses. She watched the state basketball finals with her parents. She talked about going to college with her friends, and the changes it would bring.
“We had a great day,” Denise said.
But something else was also on her mind. Mackenzie was hoping to make a connection with her birth parents before her 18th birthday.
“I know that’s been really heavy on her heart,” Denise said.
Her parents say on Saturday night, Mackenzie came home and gave them a hug. She said she was going to bed. They didn’t find the note until days after they learned about the crash.
“I would like every high school kid to pledge a Little Mac pledge, that you’ll put your seatbelt on when you leave your school or wherever they leave,” her dad, Holger Forrest, said.
Mackenzie’s funeral is Thursday at Christ on the Mountain Catholic Church in Lakewood. Her family has set up a foundation to provide basketball scholarships to children in need.
For more information, go to: http://www.macforrest33.com/
