Emily was born on November 9, 1994, to David and Tracy Yish. She grew up in Oxford, CT, alongside her younger brother, John. From an early age, Emily was full of energy and love for sports. She played basketball and softball in middle school and high school, cheered on the UConn Lady Huskies and the New York Yankees, and was especially passionate about hockey. She became an avid fan of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the New York Islanders, even joining the Sound Tigers Booster Club as a teenager. Her love of the game was so strong that she chose her college, in part, because it had a hockey team.

Emily graduated from Oxford High School in 2012 and attended American International College in Springfield, MA, where she studied physical therapy. She was determined to pursue her education despite the challenges she faced after developing epilepsy at age 11, following a rare infection that caused encephalitis. Though seizures affected her daily life, Emily refused to let them define her. She stayed active in sports, kept up her studies, and remained devoted to her friends and family. She was also her brother John’s biggest fan, always supporting him at his baseball games.

In February 2014, Emily underwent brain surgery in hopes of finding relief from her seizures. While she was recovering at home and looking forward to returning to college that fall, she tragically passed away in her sleep on April 9, 2014. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be SUDEP—Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy.

Although Emily’s life was far too short, she lived it with strength, determination, and joy. She never let her illness keep her from the people and activities she loved most, and she inspired everyone around her with her resilience.

The Emily Yish Remembrance Foundation was created to ensure her memory lives on. Through annual scholarships for Oxford High School seniors and donations to the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut and other charities, Emily’s spirit continues to touch lives and make a difference.