Her Story
Audrey May Wendler
Who She Was
Audrey May might have been small, but her personality was anything but. Silly, 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 crooning cadence or a half-hearted protest than a full performance. She had good manners. But she was also a fighter, with more grit and resilience than any man on Earth. And when she was not busy fighting, then she was certainly busy sleeping.
Busy with dreams all her own.
Audrey taught us more than we could ever have imagined. She showed us just how tough, brave, determined, and graceful a little human can be in the face of extraordinary hardship and pain. She suffered a brain hemorrhage and hypoxia during birth, endured traumatic seizures in the NICU, and faced surgery after surgery before a devastating infection stole her from us all. Yet through everything she endured, she never lost her will to fight, routinely defying expectations and leaving even world-class specialists speechless and scratching their heads. No matter how bad things could get, there was always love, trust, and laughter in her eyes and in her heart.
We will always remember her sweet blue eyes, her quiet sassy cries, and the surreal, uncanny humor she seemed to carry through it all. She had a presence that was unmistakably hers, and with one look, she could communicate more than some do in a lifetime. Even in the hardest moments, Audrey’s unmistakable personality still shined through like sunshine through the clouds and the rain. She rested when she could, fought when she had to, and kept fighting long after we told her she could rest, even when her little 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 and love that she showed us was the most powerful and heartbreaking thing we will ever bear witness to. Her presence will stay with us forever and inspire us to carry her light forward and tell her story.
Her Family
Loved by so many.
Audrey is cherished by her loving parents, Haley and David Wendler; her grandparents, Dennis and Misty Oliver, and Jim and Sybil Wendler; her great-grandparents, J.M. and Freda Richardson, and Ching Geary; and countless extended family members and friends she did not have the chance to meet yet.
For Audrey
Not goodbye,
not the end,
not a closing of the door.
Just a little time between
this room
and the next one.
You went ahead
where we cannot yet follow,
but love will light the way.
So we won’t say goodbye,
not tomorrow, not today.
We promised you that we would say:
See you later, Audrey May.
In Her Memory
“Where love is, there God is also.”
— Leo Tolstoy