From the archives: this story was last published in May 2019.
Laura Hillier, from Ontario, Canada, was given the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia at the tender age of 13. After aggressive treatment, she went into remission for four short years. But then the cancer returned.Although she was placed on the stem cell therapy list and a donor had been found, due to a lack of hospital beds, she was unable to get the treatment she so badly needed and sadly passed away on Jan. 16, 2016. Laura was just 18.
“She fought bravely and all of you would have been so proud of her. Her poise, her courage, her strength and her pure spirit shone through right until the end,” wrote her parents in a poignant farewell on her Hope for Laura Facebook page.
As Laura was unable to reach graduation, her family and friends decided to turn her casket into a yearbook as a tribute and last goodbye to her.
They were able to express their feelings by writing touching tributes, using a variety of colored markers, especially Laura’s favorite color, purple, and soon her white coffin took on a different appearance, covered with rainbows of loving thoughts. It was the yearbook she wasn’t able to obtain while alive.
What a lovely gesture for their departed loved one. Laura loved theater and music.
Cancer can and does strike in any family, and even with treatment, the life of a loved one can be cut short. We must cherish the time we have with our family and friends.
