A young Australian man who captured the hearts of thousands of Australians after bravely battling cancer for more than a decade has died aged just 19.
Levi Tracy passed away at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth at 9.15am on Tuesday after a two-year battle with acute myeloid leukaemia.
The disease is caused by an abnormal growth of white blood cells that creates tumors in the body. The condition prevents the immune system from fighting germs and infections.
His father, Mark, who created the Facebook page Lifeline for Levi to support his son during his difficult health journey, announced Tuesday that his son had passed away.
“This day was never meant to come,” he wrote.
“We are devastated beyond compare. We have no idea how to move on and keep going, but we will find a way. Levi would want that.”
‘He fought a great battle and never gave up, the mountain was too big.’
Mr Tracy said doctors had struggled to stabilise him in the early hours of Monday morning before the family visited him later that day.
Levi Tracy (pictured) died at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth from acute myeloid leukaemia on Tuesday morning.
Doctors told his loved ones that Levi did not have much time left to live.
“Her lungs could no longer handle the blood pressure and it dropped to unbearable levels,” Tracy wrote.
“The infection in his lungs was the cause and triggered everything else.”
Hundreds of social media users flooded the heartbreaking post with comments to express their grief.
“I’m crying like a baby for this beautiful warrior, Levi, and his beautiful family,” one person wrote.
“Levi was a great fighter, a true inspiration to many of us. To me, he is a true hero and a legend,” wrote another person.
Levi (pictured), who lived in Perth, was first diagnosed with cancer when he was just seven years old, before being diagnosed with the disease again ten years later.
“I send my sincere condolences to the family. My heart is broken for you all,” added a third.
Levi, who lived in Perth, was first diagnosed with non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma when he was just seven years old.
After enduring several rounds of chemotherapy for two and a half years, she was finally in remission before her 10th birthday.
But Levi, who had secured a job as a FIFO worker before being admitted to hospital, was dealt a major blow when he was diagnosed with cancer for the second time at the age of 17.
His family had been trying to find a blood stem cell match so Levi could receive a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
The procedure allows a person who does not produce enough healthy blood cells to receive protein from a healthy person who can provide the essential fluid.
Friends and loved ones constantly provided updates on Levi’s condition on social media.
A close family friend had created a GoFundMe page recently to help cover some of the ongoing medical costs.
“Levi is one of the most handsome and humble men you could ever have the pleasure of meeting, he has a passion for his dog, his car and the fresh air of the outdoors,” the fundraiser’s organizer wrote.
The family of the 19-year-old (pictured left) was trying to find a blood stem cell match so he could receive a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
Nearly $18,000 has been raised thanks to generous donors.
Mr Tracy said the Facebook page would be converted into a tribute page to honour Levi’s life.
“With broken hearts, we continue to fight,” she wrote.
‘Do not waste your time.’
