Love Like Jace Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in April 2021 by Makia Wallace in memory of her 21-month-old son Jace Lucas Leslie. Jace’s life tragically ended on September 11, 2020, after being left in the back seat of his caregiver’s car for more than 7 hours at a 105-degree temperature. Less than a month later, the State Attorney decided to drop all charges and rule the incident as an accident. After begging and pleading to reopen the case, the State Attorney refused and called the tragedy a “Simple Neglect.” Trying to pick up the broken pieces and make sense of the injustice, Makia knew she could no longer tolerate the pain, frustration, and sadness. After constantly asking all the “Why” questions a grieving mother would ask and no response, bitterness and revenge began to creep into Makia’s heart. In February 2021, Makia heard the Lord say to her, “In order for you to heal you must release and forgive.” At first, she didn’t understand this until she decided to listen and obey. Overwhelmed by anger, sorrow, guilt, bitterness, regret, and revenge, Makia decided to give it all over to God and trust His plan. Now she passionately seeks to share her story and educate others on the importance of children’s safety while offering support, encouragement, and hope to other grieving families who have experienced a loss of a loved one.
