Cancer is a scary word and receiving the diagnosis is even more terrifying. The National Cancer Institute approximates that just in the United States an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2016 alone. Within this year, 595,690 patients will die from cancer. Still, with advances in medicine in the last decade have made certain cancers beatable, it is no longer a death sentence for many patients. Furthermore, researchers, doctors, and alternative medicine practitioners across the globe are working diligently to find a cure to beat every type of cancer.It’s important though to keep a positive attitude. That is exactly what the Hillier family did when their daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia at just 13 years old.
With the support of her family, Laura fought cancer and beat it. She lived cancer free for four years. Unfortunately, by May 2015, she relapsed.
Laura was a talented girl. She was known for her love for music and theatre. As a senior in high school she was loved and admired, inspiring those around her with her positive outlook towards life and her illness. She was a student at Nelson High School, in Ontario, Canada. On January 20, 2016 while waiting for a transplant bed, she lost her battle with leukaemia. Her family broke the sad news on her Facebook. Soon thousands of condolences started pouring in.
To commemorate her life, her family, classmates, and teachers decided to do something completely out of the box. Although, Laura had already received her 12th grade yearbook, everyone wanted her funeral service to be a true “yearbook send-off.” Consequently, they wrote all their well-wishes, thoughts, and feelings on the top of Laura’s casket.
Laura’s friends and family honoured her infectious joy and talent by turning her stark white casket into a yearbook. The coffer was filled with handwritten notes and messages in different colours. The warm and personal messages were a testimony of her legacy.
No detail was missed during the memorial service. Laura’s favourite colour, purple, was incorporated during the service, as well as the beautiful flowers, to the clothing worn by those in attendance.
