One can only imagine the dread of counting the days before your last.
But in this sorrow and grief, there is courage and strength.
There’s a chance to do things one wouldn’t have done when things are normal.
The inevitable will come, but one who was afforded time to meet it can prepare their loved ones, no matter how small.
A girl in the UK did just that as she battled cancer.
Athena Orchard was just 13 when her life changed in an instant.
Before her diagnosis, she was known to be a beautiful athletic girl who loved boxing.
At 13, you have your whole life ahead of you. Everything seemed yours for the taking.
Then, she noticed a small bump on her head.
They were compelled to have it checked maybe because of its strangeness.
They were not ready to know what it was.
Orchard was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
Her illness, generally known as bone cancer, was aggressive.
It affected mainly her shoulder, spine, and head.
One can only imagine the constant pain she had to endure.
Her mother shared that even her doctors haven’t seen cancer that aggressive.
But despite the poor prognosis, Orchard fought with everything she’s got.
Eventually, she started to wane.
Even as she put up a great fight, in the end, she found difficulty in simple tasks like getting out of bed.
Orchard succumbed to the illness and passed away in May 2014.
After her death, however, she still managed to surprise her family.
Days after her death, her dad stumbled upon something so beautiful.
Their daughter has left them with a 300-word note written on the back of her bedroom mirror.
The lines, written in a black marker, were words reflective of her journey and how her circumstances shaped her perceptions of love, happiness, and courage.
They also found a box full of songs that Orchard has written herself.
It was an oasis of solace in a time of loss and extreme grief.
It was not clear if she ever planned to let her family find these pieces of her feelings.
“She never mentioned it, but it’s the kind of thing she’d do.”
Her father said:
“She was a very spiritual person, she’d go on about stuff that I could never understand – she was so clever.”
Here are some of the excerpts from Orchard’s notes.
“Happiness depends upon ourselves. Maybe it’s not about the happy ending, maybe it’s about the story.”
“This is my life, not yours, don’t worry about what I do. People are going to hate you, rate you, break you, but how strong you stand, that’s what makes you “you!””
Her notes were a mix of words of comfort and important lessons for everyone. It was also not specified when she started writing these notes.
The family said they’ll keep the mirror with them forever.
It might be one of the best pieces of memory from a loved one.
And that when life becomes painful once more, her family can look up to Orchard’s words and maybe find comfort in them.
As she said:
“Life is only bad if you make it bad.”
Watch how this girl surprised her family with a 300-word after her death.
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