“It is what it is. Deal with it!”  Such strong words and motto for such a tender, young woman!

Ashley was strong willed from the time she was a little girl.   Being an only child, her friends and family meant the world to her.  She enjoyed family get-togethers, barbeques, and celebrations. “She was the light in our lives,” said her parents, Randy and Kelly Sexton. “She lived her life to the fullest, and always had a smile on her face.”

When she was little, she traveled to Florida with the Moeke’s for her first trip to Disney and the Gulf.  She enjoyed NASCAR and followed it closely with her mom and dad. Ashley went to races when she could. 

A graduate of Mancelona High School, Ashley worked at the Credit Union in Mancelona, and held another position at a  Cellular One store in Gaylord.  She enjoyed being around people.

Ashley’s health problems began early in life. At the age of three months, she lost vision in one eye. When she was a teenager, she lost hearing in her left ear. Soon thereafter, small lumps on her neck, chest and face began to appear. Ashley’s parents took her to U of M Hospital in Ann Arbor, where a CT-scan showed a mass behind her prosthetic eye.

Ashley was diagnosed with NF on September 1, 2006.  After many tests, the surgeries began.  Her condition worsened quickly, but she didn’t let it get her down.  Instead, she decided to fight back and educate herself and others around her. Ashley had two major operations within six months of each other and was scheduled for a third, in July 2007. 

Just a few days before her third and final surgery, Ashley invited her family and friends to enjoy a barbeque dinner at their Mancelona home. Surrounded by those she loved, they spent a day together, laughing and having a good time.

Ashley was at peace with the fact she had to have this third operation.  She knew the outlook for survival was uncertain, and the risks  were many.   Still,  she was calm and prepared.  As Ashley was taken into the operating room, she was brave and strong, smiling to her family.   Shortly after the delicate procedure began, her parents were notified that problems had arisen, and their daughter did not make it. It was a moment in time that any parent would never forget, nor could have ever been prepared for.  

Ashley Nicole Sexton was very passionate about making people aware of the NF disorder, and helped raise money to find a cure. Today, we continue that fight. The annual “Ashley’s Ride” helps us reach that goal, and keeps Ashley’s spirit alive in all who knew and loved her.

We welcome you to share your memories of Ashley.