Keira DeSantis remembered

Keira Kristine DeSantis, who passed away on April 2, 2019 due to complications from gender confirmation surgery, was a gift to the Erie transgender community, and in fact, the transgender community across the globe. She accepted herself as a transgender woman two years ago and began a full sprint towards transition, with the goal of making it happen as quickly as possible. During that time, she became a member to board of directors of Transfamily of NWPA and served on the Transgender Task Force at UPMC, both of which she was immensely proud to do.

Keira was an inspiration to many other transwomen throughout the United States and the world as well. Many would reach out to her when they needed advice or were struggling emotionally. Despite sometimes working multiple weeks without a day off, she always made time for those who needed her, and as a result, her loss reverberated throughout the community, even impacted those who had never spoken to her once the news of her story began to spread. She was an amazing friend to so many people. Keira was an accomplished writer, publishing a blog with a large following on Medium.com, and she also wrote thousands of poems throughout her life. She was a devoted "Maddy" to her two daughters, a loving daughter to her mother, and an incredibly supportive and adoring fiancee to me. She will absolutely be missed by many, although her legacy will live on in perpetuity.

-Sarah Grace Morin

Videos

In Memory of a Beautiful Soul - Keira Kristine DeSantis - Posted May 22, 2019