Daveigh Chase, voice of Lilo in ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ dies at 35

Daveigh Chase, the former child actress best known as the voice of Lilo in Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” and for her role in “The Ring,” has died at 35 after being diagnosed with meningitis and serious blood infections, according to TMZ and a fundraiser organized by her boyfriend.

Chase died Tuesday from meningitis and an infection in her blood, her boyfriend, Roy Hernandez, told TMZ. He said the infections caused septic complications and led to her body shutting down.

Chase had been admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles earlier this month because of malnutrition, according to the report.

In a GoFundMe page created before her death, Hernandez said Chase had been diagnosed with meningitis and several serious blood infections and that doctors had told him she might not have much time left.

“Daveigh Chase, my girlfriend, has always been a light in my life,” Hernandez wrote. “Many people know her as a talented childhood actor from ‘Lilo & Stitch,’ ‘Spirited Away,’ and ‘Donnie Darko.’”

Chase voiced Lilo Pelekai in Disney’s 2002 animated film “Lilo & Stitch,” a role that made her recognizable to a generation of children and families. She also voiced Chihiro in the English-language version of Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away.”

Chase also played Samara Morgan, the ghostly girl at the center of the 2002 horror film “The Ring,” and appeared as Samantha Darko in “Donnie Darko.” Her other work included television roles and voice acting during the 2000s.

Hernandez wrote that Chase had faced hardship in recent years and struggled to find safety and happiness in downtown Los Angeles.

“All she ever wanted was a place where we could live together, feel safe, and be happy,” Hernandez wrote before her death. “Now, more than ever, I want to give her that sense of home and peace in her final days.”