ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — The family of a 2-year-old Albany girl who died unexpectedly in July is asking the community for support as they grieve and work to cover burial expenses.

A’Khyleigh Durham, who the family said had autism and was nonverbal, was found dead on South Jackson Street, WALB learned on July 11. The Albany Police Department (APD) ruled the child’s death as accidental, but Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler says it remains under investigation.

The APD incident report did not mention whether or not the child had visible injuries.

>> READ MORE: Toddler death under investigation in Albany <<

A’Khyleigh’s mother didn’t want to discuss the details of her death, but said she is devastated by her loss.

“Losing our beautiful daughter, A’Khyleigh, actually has left a pain that words can’t even really describe,” Ashley Durham, her mother, said.

Despite her daughter being nonverbal, Durham said A’Khyleigh had her own quiet ways of connecting with the people around her.

“She had her own ways of showing that she loves you,” she said. “After a while, she started showing a little smile gesture. She loves Minnie Mouse.”

A’Khyleigh’s grandmother, Angela Harvey, created a GoFundMe to help the family cover the toddler’s burial. Durham said the family had no life insurance for A’Khyleigh at the time of her death, and they are simultaneously managing job transitions, housing and the mental health of their other children while grieving.

“Any support, whether through a donation, sharing the fundraiser or simply just keeping our family in your prayers, means more than we can actually express,” Durham said. “It’s not gonna bring our beautiful daughter back, but it’ll help with the grieving process.”

The family said they are taking things one day at a time and leaning on faith and community as they move forward.

“We’re actually leaning on our own faith, each other and the community as trying to navigate through this unimaginable loss,” Durham said.

To support the Durham family, visit their GoFundMe page: Honoring A’Khyleigh Durham’s Memory.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, Instagram and X. For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.