Emily Elizabeth Sachs Heiner
April 23, 1988 – August 23, 2026
Emily Elizabeth Sachs Heiner died peacefully at home on Sunday, August 23, 2026, with her beloved husband, Scott, by her side. She was 38.
Emily was born on April 23, 1988, and, after spending the earliest part of her life in foster care, was cared for and then adopted at the age of two by her mother, Paula. She spent her early childhood in Baltimore before she and Paula made their home at the beach in Ocean City, Maryland, when Emily was ten. Ocean City would remain Emily’s home, and one of the places she loved most, for the rest of her life.
Emily embraced life there. She was involved in theater as a child, loved being a lifeguard and spending time with friends, and continually challenged herself. When doctors weren’t sure she would be able to run, Emily took up cross-country. She also became a cheerleader and graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2006.
In the summer of 2009, Emily met her beloved Scott Heiner. They married in 2015 and built a life together filled with love, laughter, cats, and good food. Emily loved to cook almost as much as she loved to eat, delighting in new restaurants and new foods. She loved Disney, traveling, and seeing as much of the world as she could. Travel was not always easy for Emily, but she persevered, determined to have the experiences she wanted from life.
Emily lived her entire life with cystic fibrosis, but she was adamant that her health would never define her. Living with CF required extraordinary strength: countless appointments, long drives for medical care, hospital stays, surgeries, and eventually a double lung transplant. She was deeply grateful to the CF and transplant teams who cared for and advocated for her, particularly those who helped make it possible for her to receive her transplant when she needed it.
But Emily’s story was never simply about illness. It was about living. She believed that a person’s life should not be defined by physical or mental health challenges, a message she tried to share with others. Life asked an extraordinary amount of Emily, and still, she wanted all of it: the family, the trips, the meals, the friendships, the experiences, the stories, and the joy.
She loved being Aunt Emily to Frogby, Hazel, Charlotte, and Benjamin, and watching them grow brought her tremendous joy. She treasured her relationships with her siblings: Steve Sachs (Michelle Lynn-Sachs), Dave Sachs (Sarah Fogelman), Julie Shapiro (Stan), and Jennifer Sachs, and was grateful to connect later in life with her biological brother, Clay Lynch. She also leaves behind her Aunt Rhona & Uncle Dave Farrell, Uncle Lou Hurwitz, cousins Missy & Paul Caruso (cousins Rowan, Arden & Torin) and Amber Farrell, and of course her cherished cats. She was also deeply loved and valued by her second family, the Heiners (Dave, Deb, Todd, and Viki) and her many friends, especially her lifelong best friend Rachael Holsey.
Emily was predeceased by her mother, Paula, who died only a few months before her and with whom Emily had shared so much of her life.
Above all, Emily leaves behind her beloved husband, Scott, with whom she built the life she loved and who was with her through it all. Always.
Emily wanted more from life than simply enduring it. Those who loved Emily will remember her determination, loyalty, humor, and joy, and, most of all, how fully she lived.
A Celebration of Life will be planned at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Emily’s memory at Healthwellfoundation.org or Hatzolair.org.
