A 25-year-old woman had previously written her own eulogy to post on all her social media accounts after she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
Daniella Thackray's family posted their pre-written announcement on both their Facebook page and LinkedIn account. “If you are reading this, it means I have died from my battle with cancer and my family is posting my final message on my behalf,” the post began.
She preceded the announcement with the type of cancer she had. “First of all, I just want to say that not all cancers are caused by lifestyle choices, in some cases it is genetics or, unfortunately, it just happens,” Thackray wrote.
“In my case, despite being very healthy and active, cancer started in my bile ducts that was not caused by anything under my control and my life was never the same. [Cholangiocarcinoma] “It is a rare and aggressive cancer that often has no obvious causes or cure.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, cholangiocarcinoma is often not diagnosed until the disease is in an advanced stage, and aside from genetics, smoking, older age, and diabetes can increase the risk of developing it. Although it is “a very difficult type of cancer to treat,” a treatment plan may include surgery, liver transplant, chemotherapy and palliative care.
Thackray had previously posted on LinkedIn that he had undergone a liver resection and gallbladder surgery.
“I really hope that in the coming years more research is done on this horrible and cruel disease so that more lives can be saved,” his post read.
“That 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 enjoy every moment I had left.”
She continued: “As I have always said and believed, you should enjoy the little things in life and appreciate every moment! Romanticize your life! Do what makes you happy and don't let anyone take away your joy of living x.”
“I love my life. Everything she had achieved was what she 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 building for ourselves. “Leo, my fur baby, definitely came into my life to help brighten my darkest days.”
His 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 to my life. Go enjoy your life now, you deserve it. Daniella,” the publication concluded.
After the post was uploaded, many people took to the comments to share how much they were touched by the message, whether they were loved ones of Thackray or complete strangers to her.
“I don't know and I will never have the opportunity to meet Daniella, but she has forever changed my outlook on life. She was wise beyond her years,” one comment read.
“A powerful and heartfelt message from an unknown and brave angel, Daniella, whose words will resonate every day, forever,” another commenter agreed.
