Audrey May Wendler

Audrey May may have been small, but her personality was anything but. She was funny, sassy, and full of spirit. She had wide blue eyes and a way of always making herself known. Even her cry had its own character: more of a silly, half-hearted protest than a full performance, because if she was not busy fighting, then she was certainly busy sleeping.
Busy with dreams all her own.

Audrey taught us more than we ever could have imagined. She showed us just how resilient, brave, and determined a little human being can be in the face of extraordinary hardship and pain. She suffered a brain hemorrhage and hypoxia during birth, endured seizures in the NICU, and faced surgery after surgery before a devastating infection took her from us. Yet through it all, she never lost her will to fight, routinely defying expectations and leaving even world-class specialists speechless and scratching their heads. No matter what she went through, there was only ever love and trust in her eyes and in her heart.

We will always remember her sweet blue eyes, her sass, and the surreal, uncanny humor she seemed to carry through it all. She had a presence that was unmistakably hers, and she could communicate more with one look than most people ever could with words. Even in the hardest moments, Audrey’s unmistakable personality still shined through. She rested when she could, fought when she had to, and kept fighting long after we told her she could rest, even when her body had almost nothing left to give. She was dealt an impossibly cruel hand, and she met it with strength, grace, and a spirit that would not yield. The courage she showed us will stay with us forever.