Ashlee Louise Hopkins (Davis) was involved in a horrible biking accident on Sunday, Sept. 15. Despite her resilience, strength, and the incredible care of UIHC emergency and SNICU care teams, her injuries were too severe. On Sept. 23, following an honor walk at UIHC surrounded by friends and family, Ashlee made a final gift of her life by donating her liver to save another.
To describe the light and love that radiated from her beautiful soul is impossible. Ashlee lived and loved fully and with a quiet ferocity, and will be forever missed. Her involvement in her community and her life was monumental. Whether for work or pleasure, she was a leader in every realm. Anyone who spent time with her knew that she would not only get the job done but would have thought of the 10,000 other things that no one else had. She was intuitive about our collective and individual needs and, my God, could she make us laugh.
Her passion and commitment to making the most out of life inspired anyone she came into contact with — whether through her love of the outdoors, biking, yoga, art, or just simply laughing. The list of lives impacted by her thoughtful, joyous, stubborn spirit stretches beyond this community and into the lives of everyone who had the honor of spending time with her.
Forever a champion of those most in need, she often gave us more than we deserved. Our job as a community now is to honor her legacy by caring for each other and living this precious life fully. Ashlee, you will be missed and are so deeply loved.
Ashlee’s family is accepting donations to help cover her end-of-life expenses through a GoFundMe page. As of Oct. 2, it had surpassed its $50,000 goal by more than $6,000.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s September 2024 issue.
