In Memory Of
Avery Anqi Harris
2009
2023
Avery Anqi Harris
June 23, 2009 — February 27, 2023
Our sweet daughter Avery AnQi Harris died on Monday, February 27, 2023, at home as a result of stupid cancer.
Avery was born June 23, 2009, in Wenling, China. Her life was relatively short, and she had more than her share of adversity. But she was an amazing example of love, kindness, resilience, and just the right amount of stubbornness. Avery was raised by a foster family until age six. After her first round of cancer treatment, she moved into an orphanage to receive continued care. The translation of the orphanage workers' description of Avery included "precocious and honey-lipped."
Avery loved taking care of people (and animals). One of her special talents was caring for young children. She used that talent at the orphanage and continued to do so after she joined our family-cousins, friends' little kids, and her little brother Davy, who outgrew it faster than she wanted.
Avery became part of our family on May 27, 2019. It must have felt so strange and scary to her for an American family that didn't speak her language to take her away from everything she had ever known. She told us later she was freaked out by how pale her dad's skin was. She was quick to smile and just as quick to cry, so we rarely had to wonder how she was feeling, although we often wondered what she was thinking.
Thanks to Google Translate and cousins who speak Chinese, Avery adjusted quickly to life in America. She fit in well as the middle child in her new family. Avery and Davy enjoyed playing together and making signs prohibiting the other from entering their bedroom. Hailey cared for her as an older sister; they both enjoyed and annoyed one other. Avery especially enjoyed trips to the ice cream store and family movie nights. She loved cats, drawing, and talking trash while she beat everyone at games.
Even after joining our stable family, Avery's life had a consistent dose of change. She moved each year and attended schools in Nevada, Utah, and Ohio. Most recently, Avery attended Magsig Middle School in Centerville, Ohio, where she was loved by her teachers and treated everyone with kindness. She was always willing to help welcome new students and make them feel comfortable. Avery was kind and friendly to everyone she met and brought joy and light to those that interacted with her.
Her cancer recurred about a year after coming to America, and she endured four more surgeries and many other treatments over the next few years. Avery consistently charmed the medical staff. She spent her last month trying to talk her way out of physical therapy and convincing her nurses that they were brave enough to play Beanboozled. She also enjoyed listening to Harry Potter and talking about everyone's favorite candy.
Avery was an awesome kid with a huge capacity for love even before she was adopted. When she joined our family, she gained amazing grandparents, 17 aunts and uncles, and 42 cousins, most of whom she grew to know well as she spent time in South Carolina, Utah, and Washington. We mourn her loss, we miss her, and we are heartbroken as we think about the parts of life she will not experience, but we are glad she is not in pain or confined to a bed. We cherish her memory, we are grateful for the wonderful few years that we experienced life with her, and we rejoice that she is part of our eternal family.
She is survived by her dad and mom, Jeff and Deena; sister and brother, Hailey and Davy; her maternal grandmother; lots of friends and relatives; and her dog, Uma. She leaves beloved friends in Henderson, North Ogden, Kettering, and Centerville. She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, maternal grandfather, and her Uncle David.
Our family is grateful to the staff of Dayton Children's Hospital and Cincinnati Children's Hospital for their patience, kindness, and willingness to eat a disgusting jelly bean.
There will be a memorial service on Saturday, March 11 at 3pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building at 901 E Whipp Road.
To share a memory of Avery or leave a special message for her family, please click the "Share Memories" button above.
Avery was born June 23, 2009, in Wenling, China. Her life was relatively short, and she had more than her share of adversity. But she was an amazing example of love, kindness, resilience, and just the right amount of stubbornness. Avery was raised by a foster family until age six. After her first round of cancer treatment, she moved into an orphanage to receive continued care. The translation of the orphanage workers' description of Avery included "precocious and honey-lipped."
Avery loved taking care of people (and animals). One of her special talents was caring for young children. She used that talent at the orphanage and continued to do so after she joined our family-cousins, friends' little kids, and her little brother Davy, who outgrew it faster than she wanted.
Avery became part of our family on May 27, 2019. It must have felt so strange and scary to her for an American family that didn't speak her language to take her away from everything she had ever known. She told us later she was freaked out by how pale her dad's skin was. She was quick to smile and just as quick to cry, so we rarely had to wonder how she was feeling, although we often wondered what she was thinking.
Thanks to Google Translate and cousins who speak Chinese, Avery adjusted quickly to life in America. She fit in well as the middle child in her new family. Avery and Davy enjoyed playing together and making signs prohibiting the other from entering their bedroom. Hailey cared for her as an older sister; they both enjoyed and annoyed one other. Avery especially enjoyed trips to the ice cream store and family movie nights. She loved cats, drawing, and talking trash while she beat everyone at games.
Even after joining our stable family, Avery's life had a consistent dose of change. She moved each year and attended schools in Nevada, Utah, and Ohio. Most recently, Avery attended Magsig Middle School in Centerville, Ohio, where she was loved by her teachers and treated everyone with kindness. She was always willing to help welcome new students and make them feel comfortable. Avery was kind and friendly to everyone she met and brought joy and light to those that interacted with her.
Her cancer recurred about a year after coming to America, and she endured four more surgeries and many other treatments over the next few years. Avery consistently charmed the medical staff. She spent her last month trying to talk her way out of physical therapy and convincing her nurses that they were brave enough to play Beanboozled. She also enjoyed listening to Harry Potter and talking about everyone's favorite candy.
Avery was an awesome kid with a huge capacity for love even before she was adopted. When she joined our family, she gained amazing grandparents, 17 aunts and uncles, and 42 cousins, most of whom she grew to know well as she spent time in South Carolina, Utah, and Washington. We mourn her loss, we miss her, and we are heartbroken as we think about the parts of life she will not experience, but we are glad she is not in pain or confined to a bed. We cherish her memory, we are grateful for the wonderful few years that we experienced life with her, and we rejoice that she is part of our eternal family.
She is survived by her dad and mom, Jeff and Deena; sister and brother, Hailey and Davy; her maternal grandmother; lots of friends and relatives; and her dog, Uma. She leaves beloved friends in Henderson, North Ogden, Kettering, and Centerville. She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, maternal grandfather, and her Uncle David.
Our family is grateful to the staff of Dayton Children's Hospital and Cincinnati Children's Hospital for their patience, kindness, and willingness to eat a disgusting jelly bean.
There will be a memorial service on Saturday, March 11 at 3pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building at 901 E Whipp Road.
To share a memory of Avery or leave a special message for her family, please click the "Share Memories" button above.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Avery Anqi Harris, please visit our flower store.
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