What do you do when the unimaginable happens? What do you say when the unthinkable becomes your reality? How do you survive the moment you lose your child?
These are the questions that Kaylee’s family is left grappling with today. Kaylee passed away this morning, leaving behind a heartbroken family, and a community that rallied behind her every step of the way.
Her mother shared that Kaylee woke up briefly today, her vision coming and going, her breathing becoming labored. Then, as if the weight of the world was too much for her tiny body to bear, she took her final breath. “She passed with her head in my shoulder and holding my hand,” her mother wrote. It’s a moment no parent should ever have to live through, but it’s a moment that her family, through their overwhelming love, will hold onto forever.
Kaylee fought against high-risk neuroblastoma with a strength no child should ever have to summon. For months, she faced grueling treatments, each one more taxing than the last. But in the face of it all, Kaylee fought on. Her family fought with her, never once giving up hope. They were not alone in their battle. So many of you—friends, family, and strangers alike—rallied behind Kaylee, sending cards, prayers, and hope. Through each scan, through each treatment, Kaylee’s family held onto the belief that a miracle was just around the corner, even as the road grew heavier and the days grew darker.
As the holiday season approached, the cruel truth set in. The cancer spread, and Kaylee’s pain became unbearable. But even as the situation worsened, her family remained by her side. Every moment with Kaylee was a gift, and they filled those moments with as much love as they could muster. They fit a lifetime of love into the time they were given, knowing that they would never have enough time to say all the words they wanted to say, or to give all the love they wanted to give.
This morning, that precious time came to an end. And now, her family is left to navigate the unthinkable. They are trying to process the loss of a daughter, a sister, a child who filled their lives with light and joy.
As they grieve, they ask for your prayers. Please, take a moment to pray for Kaylee’s parents, for her brother, for all of her family members who are struggling to find their footing in the aftermath of this heartbreaking loss.
In the days ahead, they will face a world that will never be the same. But your messages of love, remembrance, and prayer can help carry them through the dark days, when the grief feels unbearable and the weight of loss is almost too much to bear.
Please leave a message of love or remembrance for Kaylee below. Let her family know that they are not alone in their sorrow. Let them know that Kaylee’s spirit will live on in the hearts of those who loved her, and in the prayers of those who continue to lift her family up.
Rest in peace, sweet Kaylee. Your strength, your courage, and your light will never be forgotten.
