Kaya Joan Elizabeth Waage

To her mother and Aunt Zoe, Kaya was affectionately known as Kitta Kai, to her Grandmother Wendy, she was her sweet Ke-Ke, and to her Great Grandmother, June, she will forever be remembered in her heart as KEEKS, Kaya Elizabeth Eleanor Katherine Shough. Kaya Joan Elizabeth Waage Shough passed away on September 1, 2025, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at the age of 18. She left this world around 2:00 p.m., surrounded by love. Kaya was born on July 15, 2007, in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

From the very beginning, Kaya graced the world with a uniquely kind and radiant soul. Though she was born with a rare condition called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), this never defined her spirit. Kaya’s life was not about her diagnosis—it was about her laughter, her music, her joy, and her endless ability to love. She delighted in singing, playing music, giving sweet butterfly kisses, enjoying flowers, blowing bubbles, playing with her favorite toys, and she especially loved the color orange.

Kaya taught everyone around her what it meant to persevere with grace. She faced challenges most of us can only imagine, and yet she continued to bring light, love, and laughter into the lives of those who knew her. She spent many happy years with her Great Grandmother June, Great Grandfather Stuart, and her sister Ellie, building a life full of beauty, peace, and discovery.

In the warmth of her family’s love, Kaya thrived. Each day began with her Great Grandfather Stuart’s gentle kiss and kind check-in, asking how she was doing, while her Great Grandmother June and Ellie filled the house with music and joy, often wiggling together to the “Wiggle Song.” Ellie cared for Kaya every single day—she was her everything, her greatest joy, and her true cozy blanket. Her Aunt Abbie cherished her deeply, often saying she never wanted to let her go, and with her Great Grandfather and Ellie, Kaya’s eyes would light up every time they sang their favorite song, “Barbara Ann.” She enjoyed attending church services every Sunday with Pastor Keith and all the loving members of the congregation, where she was warmly embraced and always greeted with smiles. Her mother, Cameron, made the most selfless and loving decision a mother can make—placing Kaya in the devoted care of her Great Grandparents to ensure her safety, comfort, and happiness. In their home, one of the most beautiful places on earth, Kaya blossomed—taking swimming lessons, playing piano, riding horses, gardening, laughing, and sharing endless butterfly kisses with her Grandmother Wendy and her Mother Cameron.

Kaya is survived by so many who loved her dearly,her mother, Cameron Lightfoot; her great-grandmother, June B. Shough; her great-grandfather, J. Stuart Shough; her sister, Eleanor Shough; her grandmother, Wendy Jacobs, her grandfather, Shawn Jacobs; her aunts, Zoe Jacobs and Veda Lightfoot.

Kaya was preceded in death by her grandfather, Thomas E. Lightfoot; her uncle, Dylan T. Lightfoot; and her aunt, Katherine M. Jacobs.

The family would like to thank everyone who has reached out with kind words, prayers, and love. Your support means the world to us. Because Kaya’s passing was sudden and deeply heartbreaking, we are taking some time to grieve and begin to heal. We want to celebrate Kaya in a way that honors the incredible person she was.