We got to know Sophia’s parents, Rob and Christina, and quickly became friends with them. It’s very difficult to explain it, but when your child is diagnosed with something like cancer, your whole world stop. You are torn away from the life as you know it and you are almost like a fish in a fish tank. Life around you continue… But you yourself, are in this bubble, in this fish tank, in a completely different world, that the outside world has no clue about. The only people that truly understand you, are those who are also in your situation or position. As parents, we use to meet up in the kitchen after our kids were sleeping, a “quick coffee” or a “quick dinner” and in those 10 minutes at 1 am in the morning we don’t say a lot or we do say many things. Our eyes and faces spoke a million words. You could see as soon as a parent walked in, if it was a “good day” or a “bad day”. We become like a family, we support each other, we listen to each other, we off load and vent now again, we motivate each other, we share information and knowledge… And sometimes crossing paths in the corridor during the day, a glance could say a book and we understood each other without exchanging a word… “Just keep going….”That is how we got to know Rob and Christina…we all would get excited for one another when out children’s platelets or white blood cells were above a certain level, or the stool colour changed etc. The small things excited us.Then comes the end of treatment, the phase of excitement until you are home for a little while and you catch yourself thinking…”what if my child relapse”. That is a feeling that haunts you, constantly…

On the 22nd of April 2013, Rob and Christina received the worst news. Sophia relapsed shortly after completing the Milan Treatment plan. Her brain cancer was like most brain cancers, very aggressive and within 2 months after relapse, on the 30th of June 2013, Sophia lost her long and hard battle with cancer and passed away peacefully. Sophia fought so hard, and she was still hopeful and positive until the end, but her illness was simply too hard to beat.

Yesterday (08/07/13) was her funeral. It was so beautiful and emotional. Pastel soft pink roses, white roses, pink and white feathers… Sitting in church, listening to Rob, talking about Sophia, I thought he got it so right…Sophia was all about faith, hope and love…she had the most beautiful personality…How Rob was able to deliver such an emotional speech, such a beautiful speech, and not break down, I don’t know how he did it. However, he got it right when he said: “Sophia had more faith, more hope, and more love in her heart during her 10 years, than so many people would experience in a life time”.

Christina…your words I would like to quote too:

“You can shed a tear that she is gone, or, you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back, or, you can open your eyes and see all she has left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her, or, you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or, you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that’s she’s gone, or, you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back, or, you can do what she would want: Smile, open your eyes, love and go on…

Rob, Christina, Andy and baby brother Alexander, please know that we truly and deeply, feel so sorry for your loss, we know she was your angel…you all fought so hard together as a family.

Rest in peace Sophia Lara Curtis.

21st of May 2003 – 30th of June 2013. You touched so many hearts…