CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KCRG) - Northern Iowa senior defender Macy Smith plays with family in her heart.

She’ll always be connected to her late brother Jace.

“My brother, he was genuinely the happiest person. He would always like to make others feel valued and seen. He would also like to make people laugh,” said Macy. “Being out on the farm or being in a tractor, he loved any aspect of that. So just going to my grandpa’s farm, that brings me close to him.”

Jace died in 2016 from mitochondrial disease. The rare disease affected the mitochondria in Jace’s cells, which couldn’t adequately convert food to energy.

“He was big into sports,” Macy said. “When he was using too much energy, he would have to sit down or his legs would essentially give out. That did hinder him, but he still competed. H

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