LEEDS, England (WJW) – “If you’re reading this…”
That’s how a young woman who died of cancer opened a heartfelt letter announcing her own death that has now been shared across the world and social media.
In posts to LinkedIn and Facebook on Feb. 23, Daniella Thackray said the letter was posted by her family at her request after her battle with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
“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 wrote.
According to Today.com, Thackray was 25, worked for an advertising agency in Leeds, England. She leaves behind a fiancé.
“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.”
The letter goes on to encourage others to live their lives to the fullest.
“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,” she wrote.
The letter ends with a note to her fiancé.
“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,” reads the letter.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, cholangiocarcinoma is a bile duct cancer that often affects adults in their 70s.
Thackray said in the letter she lived a very healthy and active lifestyle and believes the diagnosis was not caused by anything within her control.
“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,” she wrote.
You can learn more about cholangiocarcinoma and the warning signs by visiting the Cleveland Clinic website.
