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llison was 9 months old when she died from complications of liver failure after a surgery to remove a partial bowel obstruction. She had biliary atresia, which was diagnosed at 7 weeks of age. She had a Kasai procedure that same week and was doing very well. The obstruction surgery was just too much for her fragile liver to handle and she went home to be with the Lord.

Allie was a beautiful child, happy, curious, and playful. She loved to be held and cuddled, to play with her mommy's hair, to read books. She particularly enjoyed the book Peek-A-Boo Bunny, because she always knew where the animals were hiding, and it made her laugh to find them. She was a very smart little girl. She had big, round brown eyes that were always taking everything in, and she had a little neck she would crane around to see if anyone was in the mood to play. A friend told me Allison was so inquisitive because she knew her time with us was short and she didn't want to miss a thing.

We learned much more about liver disease than we ever thought we would. Allison was a complicated little girl, but she was so cheerful and seemed to be mostly unaffected by the conditions she endured. She touched so many lives and is an inspiration to us. There will always be a space in our hearts that misses her, but we know she is in very capable hands.

Today is just one day less until the day we see you again, Allison. We love you.

By her mother, Kristi Bell