A woman named Daniella Thackray has announced her own death from cancer in a heartbreaking LinkedIn post in which she wrote that she “chose joy” in the final days of her life. The 25-year-old lived in Leeds (England) and worked in the Human Resources sector in a marketing company.
She left a message with her last words for her family to publish on her behalf after dying from an aggressive form of bile duct cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma. The post has since racked up tens of thousands of likes, as people have been touched by Daniella’s positive attitude despite her tragic circumstances.
Love letter to your loved ones. In a tribute to her family, her fiancé Tom, and her dog Leo, Daniella encouraged her network of contacts to “enjoy the little things” in life and “cherish every moment.” . “If you are reading this, it means that I have died from my battle with cancer and my family is publishing my final message on my behalf,” she says at the beginning of the letter.
Cancer. “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. In my case, despite being a very healthy and active person, I cancer appeared in my bile ducts that was not under my control and my life was never the same again.
“Cholangiocarinoma is a rare and aggressive cancer that usually has no obvious causes or cure. I really hope that in the coming years more research will be done on this horrible and cruel disease so that more lives can be saved.”
To accompany her message, Daniella chose a black and white photograph of her walking her dog on the beach.
Message of optimism. “That being said, while we can’t control what happens to us, we can control how we react. I decided not to mourn the life I was losing despite being so devastated, but to enjoy every moment I had left. As I have always said and believed “You have to enjoy the little things in life and appreciate every moment! Do what makes you happy and don’t let anyone take away the joy of living.”
“I loved my life. Everything I had achieved was what I wanted. I loved my job, my fiancé, my family, my friends, my dog, the house we were going to buy and the future we were building for ourselves. Leo, my fur baby, you came into my life to brighten my darkest days. And lastly, to my dear and beautiful Tom, I love you and I will always love you. Thank you for supporting me and bringing so much love and happiness into my life. Now enjoy your life , you deserve it”.
Reactions and comments. Daniella’s message has left thousands of users heartbroken and many have rushed to express her condolences and good wishes to her family. “You are an incredible woman, what a wonderful message you leave us, may you rest in paradise,” said one. “I’m literally crying.” In August I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had surgery and I underwent radiotherapy, so this message has touched my soul,” writes another user.
His coworkers at Agency 26 have created a fundraiser in his memory to further investigate this disease in the near future.
