PORT ANGELES — Kaylee Springfield, who had fought a rare form of leukemia since her diagnosis in August, died at 5:30 a.m. Thursday at a Seattle hospital.
She was 9 years old.
On her last birthday on March 8, the Port Angeles girl was in Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center battling an infection with a common herpes virus that attacked her fragile immune system after a bone marrow transplant on Feb. 22 .
“She had been pretty stable, but there were a couple of bumps in the road, and there was just this one that she couldn’t get over the hump,” said Kaylee’s mother, Kimberly Springfield, on Thursday.
More than anything, Kim hopes people remember Kaylee’s smile and giggle.
“She had such a happy-go-lucky attitude,” she said.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Independent Bible Church, 116 E. Ahlvers Road, in Port Angeles.
A reception will follow the celebration of life services.
Kaylee had captured the hearts of many, inspiring fundraisers, thoughts and prayers to help her and her family after the Dry Creek Elementary student was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Kim thanked the community for the outpouring of donations, saying she didn’t know as of Thursday, how much had been raised.
A November benefiti auction alone raised $32,000 for the Springfield family.
