A woman 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.
Daniella Thackray, 25, a human resources professional from Leeds, had previously written her thought-provoking last words for her family to publish on her behalf following her death from a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. bile ducts, also known as cholangiocarcinoma.
The post has since racked up almost 35,000 likes and people were moved by Daniella’s positive outlook despite her tragic circumstances.
Paying tribute to her family, her fiance Tom and her dog Leo, Daniella, who worked as a “people manager” at a digital marketing agency, encouraged her network to “enjoy the little things” in life and “appreciate every moment”.
She wrote: ‘If you are reading this, it means I have died from my battle with cancer and my family is posting my final message on my behalf.
Daniella Thackray has taken the internet by storm with a touching final message left on her LinkedIn account after passing away from cancer.
Daniella had a rare and aggressive form of bile duct cancer, also known as cholangiocarcinoma. Pictured from a LinkedIn update seven months ago at the hospital
Accompanying her post, Daniella chose a black and white photograph of her walking her dog on the beach.
Daniella Thackray, from Leeds, had previously written her incredibly moving final words for her family to publish on her behalf.
‘Firstly 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 very healthy and active, cancer started in my bile ducts that was not caused by anything under my control and my life was never the same.
‘Cholangiocarinoma is a rare and aggressive cancer that often has no obvious causes or cure. I really hope that in the coming years more research is carried out on this horrible and cruel disease so that more lives can be saved.’
Accompanying her post, Daniella chose a black and white photograph of her walking her dog on the beach.
Daniella paid tribute to her family, friends, fiancé and dog, and encouraged her followers to ‘enjoy the little things in life’
The human resources professional said in her heartbreaking final post that she had chosen to enjoy the time she had left, rather than mourn the loss of her life, despite being devastated by her terminal diagnosis.
The emotional message continued: “That being said, while 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 enjoy every moment I had left.
‘As I have always said and believed, you should enjoy the little things in life and value every moment! Romanticize your life! Do what makes you happy and don’t let anyone take away your joy in life.
‘I LOVED my life. Everything she had achieved was what she wanted. She 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 building for ourselves.
‘Leo, my fur baby, definitely came into my life to help brighten my darkest days.
Daniella advised her followers to do what makes them happy, saying: “Don’t let anyone take away your joy in life.”
The 25-year-old described how she loved spending time with family and friends, watching football and walking her dog.
Daniella posted an update about her battle with cancer seven months ago, also on LinkedIn, revealing that she had undergone a liver resection and gallbladder surgery.
‘And finally, to my dear, beautiful Tom: I love you and always will. Thank you for supporting me and bringing so much love and happiness to my life. Go enjoy your life now, you deserve it.’
Daniella had worked in Human Resources at the age of 26 since July 2022 and previously studied at Newcastle University.
In a post on her employer’s Instagram, she described her role in onboarding new hires and supporting employees.
The music lover said her dream dinner guests would be Adele and Dave Grohl and described how she loved football, eating out and spending time with her loved ones.
She added that her three-year-old English setter, Leo, needed a lot of walks and attention.
Seven months ago, Daniella posted an update about her battle with cancer, revealing that she had undergone a liver resection and gallbladder surgery.
Daniella posted photos of herself in the hospital ward, saying she was taking time to “rest, recover and learn to walk again”, while asking for movie and TV recommendations.
Daniella’s message has left the internet heartbroken and many rushed to express their condolences and well wishes for her family.
One said: “I’m literally crying.” After being diagnosed with stage 1A breast cancer in August, following surgery (lumpectomy) followed by radiation, this message from her hits home.’
Another said: ‘Wow. What brave words from someone I have never met, but he taught me a lot.’
A third commented: ‘You are an incredible lady, what a wonderful message to leave us, may you rest in paradise.’
