Eastern Michigan University art student Alaijah Spencer died Nov. 8, 2025, from complications related to heart failure and a subsequent infection, her family said.
“She was always a very bright, loving and giving young lady. She loved art ... she loved hanging with her friends, she loved her family,” said Brenda Moore, Spencer’s grandmother.
Services for Spencer were held Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Toledo, Ohio.
Ms. Spencer was born on Jan. 15, 2005, in Toledo, Ohio. Before attending EMU, she graduated from Toledo Early College, where she held a position in the honors society. Friends and family described her as a quick-witted, intelligent and humorous person.
“She was just so smart. She tutored every person in this house. She always knew the right answers to things, and she was never afraid to correct your mistakes. She and my son would get into debates and the whole house would be laughing,” Moore said.
Able to find the humor in everything, Spencer brought joy to everyone who crossed her path, even briefly.
“The unique thing about her is that it was just so easy to love her. Even if you just met her once, she was so sweet, and she could always get you to laugh," said Zaria Spidell, one of her best friends.
Ms. Spencer had a bright personality and would inspire others with her singing. “She had a naturally good heart,” her grandfather Danzell Moore said.
“To know her was to love her,” her grandmother told The Echo.
Friends and family members all knew Spencer to be lovable.
“She was a very loved person,” said Naveah Ford, another one of Spencer’s best friends. “She would love you right back, too. She would be your greatest critic and your biggest fan. She wanted all of us to be the best that we could be.”
In her time at Eastern, Ms. Spencer studied art, aiming to go into animation. She was a prolific artist, namely in drawing and digital work. She loved art, and infused creativity into every aspect of her life, her friends said. In her last semester at EMU, she had switched her major to studio art, and all of her friends and family watched her passion come to life.
“When she changed her major, we could all see how much she loved it and had passion for it. She was excited to go to class everyday,” Spidell said.
During her second year at EMU, Ms. Spencer was diagnosed with early-stage heart failure, which progressed rapidly. She received a heart transplant after a series of hospitalizations, her family said. Although she initially recovered, she later developed a bacterial infection that led to sepsis. Her family supported her but knew her time was limited. On Nov. 8, 2025, she was surrounded by her loved ones when she died.
“She was a beautiful young woman, and she fought hard for her family, for her friends. She fought to be here,” her grandmother said.
Alaijah is survived by her grandparents Brenda and Danzell Moore; her mother, Jaimee Wells; her father, Dresean Spencer; and several siblings, aunts, uncles, great-grandparents and friends.
She was preceded in death by her grandfather James Wells, her great-grandfather Willie Gulley and her uncle Jaeremie Spencer.
