A woman has announced her own death from cancer in a heartbreaking LinkedIn post in which she describes how she ‘chose joy’ in the final days of her life.
About Her
Daniella Thackray, 25, a HR professional from Leeds, had pre-written her thought-provoking final words for her family to post on her behalf after her death from a rare and aggressive form of bile duct cancer, also known as cholangiocarcinoma.
As it is
The post has since racked up nearly 35,000 likes as people were left moved by Daniella’s positive outlook despite her tragic circumstances.
The Tribute She Wrote
As she paid tribute to her family, fiancé Tom, and dog Leo, Daniella – who worked as a ‘people administrator’ at a digital marketing agency, encouraged her network to ‘enjoy the little things’ in life and ‘cherish every moment’.
She wrote: ‘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.
‘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.
‘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.
What is Cholangiocarinoma?
‘Cholangiocarinoma is a rare aggressive cancer with often no obvious causes and no cure. 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.’
Accompanying her post, Daniella chose a black and white photograph of her walking her dog along the beach.
‘I chose not to mourn the life I was losing’
The emotional message continued: ‘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.
‘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.
‘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.
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‘Leo my fur baby was definitely brought into my life to help brighten my darkest days.
Letter to Her Love
‘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 had worked in HR at 26 since July 2022 and previously studied at Newcastle University.
In a post on her employer’s Instagram, she described her role as onboarding new starters and supporting employees.
The music lover said her dream dinner party guests would be Adele and Dave Grohl and described how she loved football, eating out and spending time with loved ones.
She adedd that her three-year-old English setter Leo needed lots of walks and attention.
Seven months ago, Daniella posted an update in her cancer battle, revealing she’d had a liver resection and gall bladder surgery.
Her Last Days in Hospital Ward
Daniella posted pictures of herself in the hospital ward, saying she was taking time to ‘rest, recover and learn how to walk again’, while asking for TV and film recommendations.
Daniella’s message has left the internet heartbroken, and many rushed to express their condolences and well wishes for her family.
How Social Media Users React
One said: ‘I’m literally in tears. Having been diagnosed with Stage 1A breast cancer in August, then surgery (lumpectomy) followed by radiation, this message from her hits home.’
Another said: ‘Wow. Such courageous words from someone that I’ve never met, but taught me a lot.’
A third commented: ‘You are an amazing lady, what a wonderful message to leave us with, may you rest in paradise.’
