Lizzie Kieffer, an influencer, announced the death of her 12-month-old daughter Lilian last week.
In a social media post on Saturday, April 26, the Instagram content creator, who uses her background in physical therapy and fitness to teach women about health, revealed that her daughter, Lilian “Lily” Louise, died on April 23.
“We are shattered,” Kieffer started her statement. “On Wednesday, we awoke to a nightmare that we never imagined would become our reality. “Our Lily passed away.”
“Our hearts, our bodies, our souls ache for her as she was the purist of beings and brought light to every single space she filled,” she told us. “Our days are written before we were even formed, and in Lily’s 374 days of life, she taught us more than I think many could in their lifetime.”
Kieffer says she and her husband Matt still don’t know much about their daughter’s death, but doctors told them Lily, who was 12 months old, had a large mass on her brain.
“We also have come to learn that Lily had a large mass on her brain that we could have never known about as she never showed signs,” according to her. “We won’t know more answers with many of these things for months until further testing is done.”
The Missouri-based influencer also discussed how her faith has helped her and her husband in the past week.
“… We have no answers and don’t understand why this is God’s plan for our lives. And we will never fully comprehend this mystery until we see her again one day. What we do know is that God is faithful and brings light into the darkest of places,” she wrote in part. “And we know Lily is being held so close by Jesus and her loved ones in heaven. And probably playing in her ball pit or driving her little red car up there. “We feel her.”
Kieffer requested prayers and patience for her business as her family deals with the loss of her daughter.
“When we don’t feel like we can move, our family and friends hold us. But we want you to know that we appreciate your prayers and support. “We feel God’s presence around our family and friends,” she said. “And we ask that you please continue to pray hard for our family as we navigate this extremely tough time.”
The content creator also addressed her daughter directly, writing, “You will always, always be a part of us, and although the hole will never be filled, speaking your name will sing through our days, bringing joy into the moments.”
“You’re our light in this darkness and we know God is holding you in an extra special place,” according to her.
Kieffer announced on March 2 that she was expecting her third child, due in September 2025. The couple also has an older daughter, Mia.
In Lily’s obituary, the couple stated that the 12-month-old “[adored]” her big sister, “whose every move brought her awe and delight.”
“She wrapped herself around her mother’s heart with a bond too deep for words and was a true Daddy’s girl, finding endless comfort and joy in her father’s arms,” according to the funeral home. “Her days were full of laughter and play—her favorite moments spent climbing into the ball pit, climbing up the stairs eager for the chase looking back with a giggle, or riding around in her little red car with Mia, the two of them side by side in simple, perfect happiness.”
Lily is survived by her parents, older sister, and four grandparents. According to the obituary, a visitation will take place on Tuesday, April 29, followed by a funeral mass on Wednesday, April 30.
