Born on April 10, 2000, Davis exhibited a quick and razor-sharp sense of humor from an early age. Even as a little boy he could give someone the perfect side eye, which made his parents and family wonder what he was thinking. That didn’t change as he grew up, and his family and friends enjoyed his sassiness, even when it was directed at them. He was funny, quirky, always up for whatever fun was available, and, as one of Davis’s friends put it, “inspired everyone lucky enough to know him to be shamelessly yourself.”
In 2004, at the age of 4, Davis was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer. The treatment he received for that disease was brutal. He was incredibly strong during that time, and after May 2005, he was cancer-free and remained so for almost 20 years. Unfortunately, the extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments he received during that time also affected his lungs, and in 2015, it became clear he would need a double lung transplant. After being on the transplant list at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for 30 short hours, one of many miracles in Davis’s life occurred – he was a match for new lungs. Transplant surgery was successful, and a short 3 months later, Davis returned home to Vestavia, in time to start his junior year of high school.
After graduating from Vestavia High School in 2018, Davis moved to Tuscaloosa to begin his undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama, where he majored in accounting. After interning at Price Waterhouse Cooper, he graduated with his Masters in Accounting in May, 2023, and began working at PWC in October 2023.
In the spring of 2021 while on Spring Break at Lake Martin with friends, Davis decided on a whim to make a TikTok video, the content of which consisted of choosing what to wear that day. To his amazement (and amusement), he became something of a TikTok celebrity, amassing 65,000 followers, with his videos being viewed and liked by over 4 million people worldwide and being randomly recognized and photographed in many different public places all over the country.
Davis was preceded in death by his father, Michael Stanley Hartsell, and grandparents Joye “Cray” Hartsell Stock and William “Grandaddy Bill” Stock. He is survived by his mother, Sheri Eddy Sheffield, stepmom Stephanie Syphurs Hartsell, siblings William Ryan Hartsell and Macy Katherine Hartsell, grandparents Walter Van and Faye Eddy, and many cousins, aunts and uncles. He was blessed with the most amazing friends, who supported him throughout his life and loved him deeply.
The family would like to thank all those who provided support, prayed for Davis, and loved him over the years. They also wish to thank the following medical professionals for their kind and exemplary care of Davis: Dr. Nichole Bryant, the caring doctors, nurses, and staff at Children’s of Alabama Pediatric Oncology Department, The Pediatric Transplant Center at Texas Children’s Hospital, the Pulmonary Transplant Center at Duke University and Dr. William Curry at UAB Medical Center. Finally, they want all of Davis’s friends to know how much he loved and cherished them.
Visitation will be held Friday, February 2, 2024 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, 2017 Columbiana Rd., Vestavia Hills, AL 35216, followed by a memorial service for Davis from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. In 2016, when Davis was waiting for a lung transplant in Texas, he and his parents were supported by Project Joy and Hope, which provided much needed housing and encouragement. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Davis’s memory be made to Project Joy and Hope so that other families with medically fragile kids can receive that support, too. Contributions can be made online or mailed to Project Joy and Hope, 3207 Tulip St., Pasadena, TX 77504.
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