A Beautiful Farewell for Ashley

With deep sadness and full hearts, we come together to honour the life of Ashley Avorgah-Davis. A phenomenal mother, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, friend, advocate, and radiant light to everyone blessed enough to know her.

Ashley passed away unexpectedly after being admitted to hospital with a severe reaction following a routine scan. She had been living with end-stage kidney failure for over a decade, surviving for years with just 10% kidney function and later, only 5%, before starting dialysis. Her resilience through illness was nothing short of extraordinary. We are heartbroken by her sudden deterioration and are still seeking clarity around what happened. But above all, we are determined to honour her life and take care of what mattered most to her: her daughter Kelliyah.

Ashley was a force. A miracle. A living testament to the power of joy, faith, and fierce love.

If you knew Ashley, you knew love. She lived life fully: travelling, laughing, creating, connecting. She had a laugh that filled rooms, a wit that cut through noise, and a heart that never ran out of love. She showed up for everyone. She carried her pain quietly, never letting it dim her spirit.

Her kidney transplant gave her two more precious years and she made every single day count.

She leaves behind her beloved daughter, Kelliyah, her pride and purpose. Ashley fought every day to give her daughter a future. She had every intention of growing old with Kelliyah. Ashley was meant to graduate with her Master’s degree this July, yet another milestone in a life defined by determination and hope. Her absence is a loss not just of who she was, but everything she was still becoming.

Ashley dedicated her voice and platform to raising awareness of kidney failure and organ donation in the Black community, sharing what it’s really like to live with kidney failure — an invisible illness that affects over 3 million people in the UK alone. She worked with the ACLT (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust) and appeared on ITV and BBC to speak openly about her journey and educate others. Her honesty and courage helped to save and improve lives.

Ashley also launched a campaign, Living with Kidney Failure Talk, creating space for people to speak their truth, share their stories, and educate the world. Her life was her message: even through hardship, you can still live, still create, still matter.

She volunteered her time generously, supporting vulnerable groups at Swaleside Prison and mentoring young people. She also volunteered with BCID (Brooklyn Centre for Independence of the Disabled), where she led self-care and makeup sessions. Her heart was in service, even when her body was in pain.

Ashley was a journalist, creator, and connector. She started a talk show Catching up with Ashley Delamode, launched Delamode magazine, completed her Master’s coursework, worked in celebrity PR, and built safe spaces for countless people, many of whom never even knew how unwell she truly was.

She loved loudly.

She lived soulfully.

And she inspired deeply.

All funds will go towards Ashley’s funeral costs and celebration of life.

If Ashley’s story touched you through her words, her work, her humour, her kindness, or her fight, please consider sharing her story.

Every donation, every share, every message of love helps carry forward the legacy of a woman who never stopped giving, never stopped loving, and never stopped believing in the beauty of life.

If you’re unable to donate, we ask that you please keep us in your prayers, share Ashley’s story, and let it inspire you to live fully, on your terms, while making an impact.

Ashley’s story is not just for those who knew her. It’s for anyone living with a chronic illness. Anyone feeling invisible in their pain. Anyone wondering if they still matter while navigating the unimaginable.

Ashley proved: You still matter. You can still impact the world. You are still worthy of love.

Please follow and share Ashley’s work:

Instagram: @LivingWithKidneyFailure

@AshleyDeLaMode

With love,

The Avorgah & Davis family