MACKENZIE ASHER

2006 - 2017

May 6, 2006 - December 7, 2017 YUKON Our amazing 11-year-old daughter, Mackenzie Asher, of Yukon, OK, passed away on Dec. 7, 2017, in Oklahoma City, surrounded in love by her parents. She was born May 6, 2006, in OKC to Jayson Asher and Amber Markstone. Mackenzie was born a fighter. She was born a month premature and spent a week in the PICU at Baptist hospital and showed right off the bat a will and courageousness that would last her entire life. Her brothers were her very best friends and biggest fans. She always went out of her way to teach them things, have adventures, and include them in all the amazing things she has been able to experience. She was in her first year as a 5th grader at IES in Yukon, OK after missing the entire previous year due to her fight with leukemia and immediately made an impact. After a few short weeks in school, she was proudly elected to Student Council and made many friends. She was also a competitive dancer at Encore dance studio, and in her last year there, she was awarded the Dancer of the Year. She loved ballet, hip-hop, jazz, and was a member of the company dance team. Mackenzie also had a huge heart for animals, she had a dog, Boomer; two cats, Tater and Tot (with their own Instagram page!); a guinea pig, Lily; and a clown fish, Nemo. Mackenzie always made everyone feel special, appreciated, and honored by others. She absolutely loved this time of year, and she was one of the few that really did love giving more than receiving. Mackenzie also was a social media superstar. She had an Instagram page with over 18K followers and spent countless hours making and preforming on the app Musical.ly. One of her many dreams was to be a YouTube star like her hero, Jake Paul. Mackenzie also became a huge OU fan when Coach Stoops came to regularly visit her in the hospital and fell in love with OU even more when she was a special spectator this year for a home game. She was also lucky enough to have met Baker Mayfield, with whom she quickly fell in love with. After her diagnosis, she wanted to be a doctor or child life specialist so she could help others, just like her team helped her for 18 long months. She spent seven straight months in the hospital and continually made the best out of her situation. She fought very hard and showed everyone around her how to handle a life crisis. She inspired many people with a fight and never give up attitude. Her favorite movie quote was from Rocky, "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." Now, Mackenzie is finally at rest and we hold her close within us. She showed us all how to handle a health crisis with the upmost beauty and elegance. We know that she would want to give back to her family and friends, so please use her story and courage to fight every battle, to never give up, and to love as hard as you can. We will love and miss you forever, sweet girl. Mackenzie is survived by her mother and father; stepmother, Niki Asher; brothers, Dylan Asher, Jackson Blanco, Connor Asher, and Sam Markstone; grandparents, Bryan and Gayle Asher, Betty Reichman, John and Christine Hohenshell, and Wayne and Lenora Walters; and numerous extended family members. Mackenzie's Celebration of Life will be held at The Gate Church, 7700 N. Council Rd., Oklahoma City, OK 73132, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, at 1 p.m. Friends and relatives may visit Mercer-Adams, 3925 N. Asbury, Bethany, OK 73008, for a Viewing on Monday, Dec. 11 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. with family present 5-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, we are asking that a donation be made to 10strongokc.com a volunteer organization that provided countless hours of fun at OU Children's Hospital. To share a memory or condolence, visit www.mercer-adams.com www.mercer-adams.com