“Who would expect to lose her?” — Family speaks on life of woman killed in accident outside of Redwest Music Festival

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The uncle of the woman killed following an accident outside of Redwest Music Festival spoke to ABC4 about her life and her decision to be an organ donor.

Ava Ahlander was struck by debris from a construction site nearby the Utah State Fairpark due to high winds, according to Salt Lake City Police Department. Yesterday, her family shared that she had passed away, and SLCPD later confirmed her death.

Ava’s uncle Bobby Ahlander talked about Ava’s life and the impact her loss has had on the family. Bobby explained that Ava was the fourth of six children, and that the family is very close.

Bobby said, “The cousins are all friends, and [Ava]’s just sort of the life of the party. That’s the best way to describe her, she’s the life of the party. She’s so fun. She always has been that way.”

“So, you know, when there’s somebody like that in your life, who’s just like a force of nature, and then now they’re just gone because of course, who would expect to lose her?” Bobby continued. “You know, it’s just one of those things where you just, you never think that’s going to happen.”

Bobby told ABC4 that Ava grew up in American Fork, but she’d been living in the Seattle area for the last two years, working at a pizza place. Her mom also lives in the area. Bobby said that she loved the outdoors and she loved music, going to concerts and music festivals with her friends.

Ava flew down to Salt Lake City to go to Redwest Music Festival with some of her Utah friends.

“My sister, a couple of days ago, said she left an Ava-sized hole in our lives, and that’s–if you know Ava, then you know that that makes sense. It’s like a huge, giant hole,” Bobby said.

Bobby also said that Ava decided to become an organ donor a few years ago. “I think that’s maybe the most– maybe the beauty that can come out of this tragedy is that she currently is right now,” he stated.

He explained that she was declared brain dead a few nights ago. “We already kind of knew that that was probably the case, but them making that declaration made it possible for the donor team at [Intermountain Health Care] to sort of take over.”

She’s being prepared now, and in the next few days, the family is expecting to make their final goodbyes. “Then Ava will then become part of other families’ lives in a really interesting and kind of miraculous way, and I think that’s incredible,” he said.

Ava’s family has organized a GoFundMe campaign, and any money received will be used to cover Ava’s funeral expenses. Once expenses are covered, any remaining funds will be donated to charity in Ava’s name.

The family is planning a memorial and celebration of life for Ava on Saturday.