Title: A Final Message That Echoes: Daniella Thackray’s Fearless Approach to Life and Death
Gone but far from forgotten, a 25-year-old woman from Leeds, England, Daniella Thackray, whose battle with a nefarious form of cancer seized the common thread of her life, reinforces the value of living through her self-penned eulogy that is now reverberating across the globe. Digital platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn were chosen as the medium to share her farewell message posthumously, starting with, “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.”
Showing a remarkable amount of grace and courage, Thackray’s parting words showcased no trace of bitterness about her early departure from life. Standing true to libertarian values of personal liberty and free will, she emphasized celebrating her existence, despite her short yet undeniably rich journey. “I LOVED my life,” she declared. “Everything I had achieved was what I wanted.”
Her proclamation highlighted her love for her job, her fiancé, friends, family, her dog; essentially everything that contributed to her cherished existence, right up to the home she was planning to buy and the shared future with her partner, Tom Calvert, who confirmed the delayed dissemination of her goodbye message, following her funeral.
The core principle of Thackray’s final reflection ran parallel to libertarianism’s focus on enjoying individual freedoms. “We can’t control what happens to us, [but] we can control how we react,” she expressed. Facing a reality that most would find unbearable with head high, the brave woman chose to “cherish every moment” she had left, and urged her readers to do the same. Appreciate life, urged her valedictory note.
As she adviced, “Do whatever makes you happy and don’t let anyone take the joy of life away from you”, the message Thackray passed on to her significant other was deeply moving and visually encapsulated her loving spirit. “Go enjoy your life now, you deserve it.”
Her strength and poignant words hit a deep chord even with those who had never met her in-person. She has been referred to as an “immaculate human being” and her letter described as “profoundly beautiful and heartbreaking.”
The “rare aggressive cancer with often no obvious causes and no cure,” that Daniella referred to as cholangiocarcinoma, had its beginnings in her bile ducts. This disease is notoriously difficult to combat, as described by Mayo Clinic, often requiring aggressive treatments like surgery, liver transplant, chemotherapy, and palliative care.
Her post, while detailing her battle, sought to debunk one of the common misconceptions about cancer being a direct confluence of poor lifestyle choices. She explained that even the healthiest individuals, herself included, could be blindsided with aggressive forms of cancer that appear out of seemingly nowhere. “In some cases it’s genetics or unfortunately, it just happens,” she stated.
Expanding on this note, Thackray voiced her sincere hope for the future: a progressive unraveling of this cruel disease through dedicated scientific research, potentially saving numerous lives down the road. Now, as her bereaved coworkers at 26 Agency raise funds for the St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds, in tribute to Daniella’s forceful spirit and enduring memory, her shared journey and fearless approach to life and death remain a testament to humanity.
In finality, Daniella Thackray’s self-scripted eulogy serves a lasting legacy, one that resonates and refocuses the lens on how we perceive life and our tempestuous journey through it. It is a poignant reminder of the liberty to cherish each passing moment, to remain undeterred in our pursuit to relish the gift of existence, regardless of the circumstances arrayed against us. She underscored, with her life and her death, the importance of treasuring and truly living every precious moment that one is granted. In her own words, “Romanticise your life! Do whatever makes you happy and don’t let anyone take the joy of life away from you.”
