Aelin Drake Fraedrich of Genoa, IL, has passed away, leaving behind a family and community who loved her dearly.
What follows is written with love, by those who knew her best.
There are losses that teach us the weight of a life.
Aelin Drake Fraedrich, 10 months, of Beloit, Wis., peacefully passed away Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Milwaukee Children's Hospital, in the arms of her parents.
Aelin was born on June 9, 2025 in Rockford, Ill. She is the daughter of Austin and Rebecca "Becca" (Weil) Fraedrich. Born at just 24 weeks gestation, Aelin was a fighter from day one. Aelin had the sweetest smile and loved to cuddle in her parent's arms. She enjoyed watching her mobile and listening to her family read her books, her favorite being "Bear Hugs". Aelin is known to many as a sweet, happy, and brave little girl who loved to live by her own rules. Aelin never followed the typical path throughout her journey. She was known to be an occasional troublemaker with nurses, especially when told to behave. Her misbehaving was most times accompanied by a little mischievous smirk. Even with complications from multiple heart surgeries, Aelin never stopped fighting. She truly is a testament to strength and resilience and we are so proud of all that she overcame. Aelin has touched the hearts of many people in her short time, and we know that she will continue to impact others in the future.
Aelin is survived by her parents and her twin sister, Nori Pearl; aunts and uncles, Ryan and Kylie Fraedrich and Eva (Weil) and Lynnaun Johnson; cousins, Jonah, Micah, Ezra, and Millie; her grandparents, Bill and Mary Fraedrich, Emily Weil, and Paul Weil; great-grandparents, Bill and Arliss Fraedrich. She has a large extended family.
She was predeceased by her great-grandparents, Edwin and Mildred "Millie" (Kaiser) Drake, Charles and Gertrude "Trudy" Weil and Gertrude Swinson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to a name fund created for Aelin at the Herma Heart Institute at Children's Wisconsin. Donations can be made at http://giving.childrenswi.org and click on Memorial Gifts, and select "other" for the fund and type in HHI- Fraedrich in the box. All donations to Aelin's name fund will be used to positively impact children affected by congenital heart disease through research.
Visitation will be held from 2pm to 5pm Friday, May 8, 2026, at Olson's Cooper Quiram Chapel, 202 E. Main St., Genoa, IL 60135. Words of remembrance will be said at 4:30pm. The family is asking for everyone to wear red, pink, or hearts in Aelin's honor.
Austin and Becca would like to extend special thanks to Dr. Remedios-Smith, nurses Ariel and Hannah, and the Rockford NICU team for taking such wonderful care of Aelin while she was there. They would also like to extend their thanks to Dr. Raji, Dr. Handler, Dr. Boeker, the Milwaukee Children's CICU team, and most of all, Dr. Mitchell, who never stopped fighting for her.
For information, call 815-784-2518. Visit www.olsonfh.com to leave a condolence.
