Woman, 25, announces her own death from cancer in viral letter
A 25-year-old woman had pre-written her own eulogy to be posted on all of her social media accounts after she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
Daniella Thackray’s family posted her pre-written announcement on both her Facebook page and LinkedIn account. “If you’re reading this then it means I have died from my battle with cancer and my family are posting my final message on my behalf,” the post began.
She prefaced the announcement with what kind of cancer she had. “Firstly, I just want to say that not all cancers are caused by lifestyle choices, in some cases it’s genetics or unfortunately it just happens,” Thackray wrote.
“In my case, despite me being very healthy and active, a cancer started in my bile ducts which was not caused by anything in my control and my life was never the same again. [Cholangiocarcinoma] is a rare aggressive cancer with often no obvious causes and no cure.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, cholangiocarcinoma is often not diagnosed until the disease is in the advanced stage, and aside from genetics, smoking, older age, and diabetes may increase the risk of developing it. Although it is “a very difficult type of cancer to treat” a treatment plan may involve surgery, liver transplant, chemotherapy, and palliative care.
Thackray had previously posted on LinkedIn that she had undergone a liver resection as well as gallbladder surgery.
“I really really do hope that in the years to come more research is done about this horrid cruel disease so that more lives can be saved,” her post read.
“So with that being said, although we can’t control what happens to us, we can control how we react. I chose not to mourn the life I was losing despite being so devastated, but to instead enjoy every moment I had left.”
She continued: “As I have always said and believed you should enjoy the little things in life and cherish every moment! Romanticise your life! Do whatever makes you happy and don’t let anyone take the joy of life away from you x.”
“I LOVED my life. Everything I had achieved was what I wanted. I loved my job, my fiancé, my family, my friends and my dog, and the house we were going to buy and the future we were making for ourselves. Leo my fur baby was definitely brought into my life to help brighten my darkest days.”
Her post ended with a heartfelt quote from Winnie the Pooh and a special message for her fiancé, Tom.
“And lastly to my dear, beautiful Tom, I love you and always will. Thank you for supporting me and bringing so much love and happiness into my life. Go enjoy your life now, you deserve it. Daniella,” the post concluded.
After the post was uploaded, many people took to the comments to share how much the message touched them, whether they were Thackray’s loved ones or complete strangers to her.
“I don’t know, and will never have the opportunity to meet Daniella, but she has forever changed my view of life. She was wise beyond her years,” one comment read.
“A heartfelt, powerful message from an unknown, courageous angel, Daniella, whose words will resonate each and everyday, forever,” another commenter agreed.
