Kylie Ann McElheny, Who Made Every Moment Memorable, Dies At 27

OAK LAWN, IL — Kylie Ann McElheny, a lifelong Oak Lawn resident who made every moment memorable, from dancing on table tops to comforting her loved ones in their darkest moments, died April 21. She was 27.

McElheny learned that she had cervical cancer during a routine gynecological exam in October 2019, the day after her bank account was cleaned out by an identity thief. Despite grueling rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, including brachytherapy, McElheny remained positive and full of fighting words for cancer, many of them expletives.

She was a 2011 graduate of Oak Lawn Community High School. Before her illness, McElheny spent her years doing what she loved most, being a nanny to loving families who “quickly fell in love with her the way the rest of the world does,” her mother, Lorie, told Patch.

“Kylie held a special touch of every element,” Lorie McElheny said. “She carried herself with confidence, she expanded her heart moment to moment, she accepted the power of any tide, and she was humble — even when she knew she was the baddest girl in town.”

When McElheny turned 26 and lost her insurance through her parents’ medical plan under the Affordable Care Act, her older brother, Steve, a Chicago musician better known as "Stevie Mac," set up a GoFundMe campaign to help his sister with some of her medical and prescription costs.

"She was the best of us," Steve McElheny said. "Nothing will ever be the same."

McElheny believed in a combination of traditional and alternative medical approaches to treating cancer. In March, Tranquil Soul Yoga & Wellness Studio made a special trip to McElheny’s home, where she lived with her parents, to do a group Reiki session with her closest friends and family.

This isn't the first time cancer has visited McElheny's family. The longtime Oak Lawn clan was dumbstruck when her 8-year-old cousin, Sarah McElheny, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2012. The Columbus Manor third-grader was responding well to chemotherapy when she contracted West Nile virus. Sarah succumbed to her illness that same fall.

McElheny was born May 8, 1993 to Steven and Lorie (Lathus) McElheny. She was their only daughter. She holds the hearts of her older brothers, Stevie, and Timmy (Demiries) McElheny. She was the loving dog mom of Baloo and Bowie.

“[She] was the most loved girl in the world and every galaxy,” her mother said. “Kylie was beautiful chaos, her presence was never subtle. Her energy pulsated the atmosphere with joy, laughter and wisdom.”

A memorial visitation will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 25, at Curley Funeral Home, 6116 W. 111th Street, Chicago Ridge. In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, visitors are asked to wear face masks. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in McElheny’s name to Woof Pack Dog Rescue.