Honoring Celina Kenyon's Legacy

In the early morning hours of May 22nd, 2025, the world lost one of its brightest lights, Celina Kenyon, in a tragic plane crash.

After flying out to NYC to photograph and support her long time friends, she decided to fly home to San Diego on a late night private flight rather than a commercial flight so she could get home early to take her daughter, Laila, to school that same morning. There were unexpected complications while landing that resulted in the death of not only Celina, but 5 other amazing human beings.

Celina was a daughter, a sister, a lover, an artist, an inspiration, and an irreplaceable friend to so many of us — but most importantly, Celina was a mother. A fantastic mother. A mother that would move mountains for her daughter, Laila. To Celina, family was everything.

For those of us who knew Celina, you knew her love, her humor, her wit, her light, her laugh, her creativity, her patience, and her determination were unmatched. Laila - her carbon copy - is all that and then some.

Laila is empathy, curiosity, intelligence. She is clever and astute, funny and playful, kind, considerate… and will tell you like it is.

She is 11 years old and she didn’t just lose her mother… she lost her best friend. They were inseparable, they completed each other — two halves of an ethereally beautiful whole.

Celina showed Laila the world - they traveled, they camped, they searched for dolphins and climbed mountains. They tackled snowy slopes and cuddled hard on that big cozy couch of theirs.

She filled her daughter's days with art, music, friends, and endless potential. Celina was able to give opportunities and experiences to her daughter that some of us can only dream of having as adults. She let Laila know that the world was her oyster, and then she fed her oysters - because even at 11, Laila's palette is nothing if not refined.

This fund is for Laila. While no amount of money could ever replace what she's lost, our goal is to create a foundation of support that helps carry her into the future her mother dreamed of for her.

All donations to this GoFundMe are considered gifts and will go directly to Laila’s benefit, managed by trusted family. The funds will help support Laila in the years ahead — whether it’s for college tuition, her first car, a backpacking trip through Europe, or simply for some stability as she transitions into adulthood. It’s hard to predict what she’ll need most in the years to come — but we want her to know she’ll never face those needs alone.

Thank you for showing up for Laila — for honoring Celina’s legacy with your generosity. We feel her gratitude in every gesture of love.