Sophia Lilly Cobb

Sophia Lilly Cobb was born on January 9, 2009, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Jared and Amanda Cobb. Before her birth, her parents learned that she had a serious heart defect. Sophia was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a life-threatening congenital heart condition in which the left side of the heart does not fully develop.

From the very beginning, Sophia showed the strength and determination that would become such a defining part of her life. Between the day she was born and the age of three, she endured three open-heart surgeries—the Norwood, Glenn, and Fontan procedures—just to survive. She spent much of her early childhood dependent on oxygen. As a toddler, if her mom or dad weren't right beside her to carry her oxygen tank, Sophia sometimes simply took off on her own, pulling the tank behind her. She never wanted her medical challenges to stop her from doing what she wanted to do.

Through countless appointments, procedures, hospitalizations, and medical challenges, Sophia faced everything with a quiet strength and sweet spirit that amazed everyone who knew her.

Sophia attended Eagle Valley Elementary School, Frontier Middle School, and Cedar Valley High School in Eagle Mountain, Utah. During seventh and eighth grade at Frontier Middle School, she played the clarinet in band. She continued playing during her freshman year, mostly because she loved being able to be in band with her older brother, Aiden. That same year, she discovered something she loved even more—dance. She took dance classes and absolutely loved them. During her sophomore year, she decided to leave clarinet behind and devote more time to dance.

One of the happiest adventures of Sophia’s childhood came in April 2018, when she was selected by the Make-A-Wish Foundation to have her wish granted. Sophia and her family traveled to Orlando, Florida, for an unforgettable trip to Disney World. From the moment the plane landed, Sophia received the VIP treatment. The pilot invited her into the cockpit, where she got to sit in the pilot’s seat and wear his hat. She loved staying at Give Kids the World Village, especially being able to enjoy all the treats and ice cream she wanted. She visited the many parks at Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld. Everywhere she went, she was treated like a VIP, and she absolutely loved every minute of it.

Sophia found joy in creating things. She loved movies, crafts, crocheting, painting, and making beaded bracelets. She learned to crochet with her mom and Grandma Anderson, and crafting became a source of comfort and happiness throughout her life, especially during her many hospital stays. She also had a wonderful sense of humor and loved making fun, playful videos for Instagram, often involving her mom and brothers.

Sophia's favorite movie and character was SpongeBob, and her love for SpongeBob knew no limits. She had SpongeBob clothes, pillows, blankets, games, stuffed animals, ornaments, and just about anything else SpongeBob-related that could be found. She also loved fidget toys and collected hundreds of them.

She had an enormous sweet tooth, with a particular love for chocolate. During her final hospital stay, chocolate cheesecake, chocolate pudding, and rainbow cupcakes were among her favorite treats. Sophia loved celebrating holidays and birthdays with her family, especially because they meant cake, ice cream, presents, and time together. Halloween and Christmas were her favorite holidays. She loved dressing up and trick-or-treating for as much candy as possible, and last Halloween she dressed up as a turkey. At Christmas, she loved both giving and receiving presents.

Sophia also loved cooking and baking. She especially enjoyed making chocolate chip cookies, which everyone agreed were very good. She was always willing to help her mom with chores around the house and would often volunteer to clean her parent’s bathroom.

She was also like a second mom to her brothers. If her younger brothers weren't listening to their mom, Sophia had no trouble stepping in to tell them what they needed to do—and, remarkably, they usually listened.

One of Sophia’s greatest loves was playing games, especially card games. UNO and Elimino were among her favorites. She would ask just about anyone nearby to play with her. During her many hospital stays, nurses and even doctors would sometimes join her for games, along with her parents, brothers, grandparents, cousins, and other relatives. She especially loved beating her dad and teaming up with her mom against him. Sophia seemed to have the best luck in the world when it came to games and was incredibly difficult to beat. On the Wednesday night before she passed away, she even beat her dad, mom, and brother Aiden at Elimino—a perfect example of her competitive spirit and love of having fun with the people she loved.

In February 2025, at just 16 years old, Sophia received a life-saving heart transplant. She recovered spectacularly and began enjoying life to its fullest. She looked forward to starting her junior year of high school that August. During the summer, she traveled to Idaho to visit her grandparents and had a wonderful time.

Sadly, just as the new school year began, Sophia was diagnosed with Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD), a rare and aggressive lymphoma associated with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and a serious complication for transplant patients.

Over the following year, Sophia endured more than anyone her age ever should have had to face. She underwent brain surgery to remove a malignant tumor, intensive chemotherapy and spinal chemotherapy, and radiation to her brain and spine. She experienced septic shock and multiple stays in the ICU. Tumors in her brain continued to grow despite treatment, eventually affecting her vision, hearing, and mobility on the left side of her body. She endured numerous life flights and emergency transports, countless transfusions, biopsies, surgeries, and other procedures. She also underwent abdominal surgery after a serious stomach perforation, which resulted in the removal of nearly half of her stomach.

Yet through it all, Sophia remained Sophia—gentle, kind, patient, funny, and incredibly brave.

She spent far too much of her young life in hospitals and medical settings, but she also left a lasting impression on the doctors, nurses, therapists, and medical staff who cared for her. She looked forward to the massages she received from massage therapy during her long hospital stays, and she especially loved when pet therapy dogs visited her room so she could pet them.

Her ability to find joy in the middle of difficult circumstances inspired everyone around her. Crafting and creating gave her peace. Games gave her something to look forward to. Treats made her smile. Her family gave her endless love. And no matter how difficult things became, Sophia continued to show the quiet strength that had carried her through her entire life.

Her 17 years were filled with love, laughter, fun, and adventure. She loved her family deeply and especially enjoyed teasing and playing with her brothers. Even just days before she passed away, she was outside having a water-gun fight with them. That was Sophia—still laughing, still playing, still making memories with the people she loved.

Sophia’s smile was infectious, and her positive attitude touched countless lives. She had a remarkable ability to make people smile and bring joy into ordinary moments. She was deeply loved by her family, treasured by her friends, and remembered fondly by the many medical professionals who had the privilege of caring for her.

Sophia’s greatest wish in her final days was to be home. On August 14, 2026, she peacefully passed away at home, surrounded by the love that meant so much to her.

Sophia is survived by her parents, Jared and Amanda Cobb; her three brothers, Aiden, Mylan, and Nolan; and her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many other family members and loved ones who will miss her deeply. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Michael Anderson, and her great-grandparents.

Sophia’s life was far too short, but it was filled with an extraordinary amount of love. She taught those around her what courage looks like—not through loud words or grand gestures, but through the quiet strength with which she faced every challenge placed before her.

She will be forever missed and never forgotten. Her laughter, her adorable smile, her love of games and crafts, her sweet tooth, her SpongeBob collection, her competitive spirit, and, most of all, her gentle and loving spirit will live on in everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.

Sophia fought hard. She loved deeply. She lived fully. And she left this world having made it a kinder, brighter place simply by being in it.

May her memory always be a blessing to those who loved her.

To view a recording of Sophia's graveside service, please click the tab above that says "Watch Services".