Grace Ann Albright

Grace Ann Albright, 18, left this world far too soon on May 11, 2026, but not before filling it with extraordinary love, laughter and joy.

A celebration of Grace’s life will take place at Summit Church, 980 N Main Street, Buffalo, Wyoming on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 2:00pm.

Born on August 16, 2007, in Tacoma, Washington, Grace lived her entire life with MMIHS, a rare and complex condition that demanded more strength from her than most people will ever be asked to give. She faced every challenge with sweetness, sarcasm, humor and tremendous faith. She was funny and sassy in the way only someone who had walked through real suffering could be – sharp-witted, tender-hearted and unafraid to speak truth with a smirk.

Grace loved people because she knew what it felt like to be different. She never cared about status. She cared about kindness, about noticing the overlooked, about making people feel seen. Her heart was wide open to anyone who needed a friend.

She loved music and one of her most memorable times was seeing Taylor Swift with her sister in Liverpool. She loved iced coffee, make-up, cruising in her car with the music up loud, and learning to be independent. Above all, she loved Jesus – deeply, sincerely, and with a faith shaped by both joy and hardship.

Grace was a fighter, even on the days she didn’t want to be. She was a multi-organ transplant recipient, receiving the gift of life from her donor, Maria Allender, whose name and sacrifice Grace honored every single day. Her transplant journey at UNMC in Omaha, Nebraska, became a second home, and the nurses and doctors there were not just caregivers – they were friends and extended family. They walked with her through countless battles, and she loved them fiercely.

Grace is survived by her parents, Jeff and April and her big sister, Alyssa. She is also cherished by her Nana Gayle Albright; Nana and Apa, Susan and Greg Curwen; Grandpa “Bacon” and Grandma, David and Connie Beck; Uncle David Albright; Aunty and Uncle, Day and Spencer Leonard; cousins Dexter and Jazmin Perkins; Great Granny Leona Fall; amazing best friends, a large extended family and medical teams who loved her deeply.

She was preceded in death by her Grandpa Dennis Albright and some very special medical friends.

Those wishing to honor her may contribute to The MMIHS Foundation, PO Box 186, Willernie, Minnesota 55090, www.mmihs.org or simply choose to love people the way Grace did – with sincerity, humor and a heart like Jesus. Grace taught us what it means to love bravely. Her absence is immeasurable and so is the love she leaves behind.