About Delaney

Delaney Anne Kilbane was a bright, joyful, and deeply compassionate little girl from Avon Lake, Ohio. In her eight years of life, she radiated kindness, faith, and love in a way that touched everyone who knew her. Delaney attended St. Joseph Parish School, which she lovingly considered her second home, and she spent each day striving to make the people around her feel seen, valued, and loved.

Delaney lived with an extraordinary sense of empathy. While most children are naturally focused on themselves, Delaney constantly noticed the needs of others. If someone looked sad, she would seek them out with a hug, a compliment, or a simple reminder that they mattered. Her instinct was always the same: to lift people up.

One of the most powerful examples of this happened during a quick trip to the grocery store. Delaney noticed a woman standing alone in an aisle who looked like she had been through a difficult day — perhaps a difficult life. While others may have walked past, Delaney gently approached her, touched her hand, and simply said, “You are beautiful.”

The woman began to cry. She shared that she lived alone and that no one had spoken to her in months. That small moment of kindness — a child recognizing the beauty in someone who felt invisible — changed her life.

For Delaney, this wasn’t unusual. She believed wholeheartedly that every person was beautiful and deserving of love. When someone tried to explain that not everyone might understand her compliments, Delaney responded with complete sincerity: “What do you mean? Everyone is beautiful.”

Delaney lived her life guided by her deep faith. Each morning before school, she was reminded to live like Christ — and she truly did. Her kindness was effortless. Her joy was contagious. She believed the world should always be smiling, and she worked every day to make that happen.

Though Delaney’s time on earth was only eight years, the impact of her life continues to grow. Her words — “You are beautiful” — have inspired a movement of kindness, compassion, and faith.

The Live Like Delaney Foundation was created to carry her light forward. Through acts of kindness, community outreach, educational programs, and charitable initiatives, the foundation encourages people to see the beauty in others and to live each day with the empathy and love that Delaney so naturally shared.

Delaney believed everyone was beautiful. The world is brighter when we choose to believe that too.

Live Like Delaney.

“You are beautiful. Love, Delaney”