A Victoria youngster who won hearts and raised hopes as she staged a nearly lifelong battle against cancer has died three months shy of her 10th birthday. Hannah Day's mother, Brooke Ervin, shared news of her daughter's death in a Facebook post Sunday.
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May 13, 2019 - 5:00 PM
VICTORIA - A Victoria youngster who won hearts and raised hopes as she staged a nearly lifelong battle against cancer has died three months shy of her 10th birthday.
Hannah Day's mother, Brooke Ervin, shared news of her daughter's death in a Facebook post Sunday.
The nine year old was being treated for tumours found in her brain and spine in March, but while on chemotherapy Ervin says Hannah developed a bacterial infection that attacked her internal organs.
It was the girl's third bout with the disease that first developed in 2012 when a rare, malignant growth was found in her stomach at age three.
Aggressive treatment wiped out that cancer but the drug Hannah received was blamed for causing leukemia in 2013 and it returned the following year, despite a stem-cell donation from Ervin.
Hannah, whose battle prompted stem-cell donor drives across Greater Victoria, is survived by her parents and two younger sisters.
Ervin says in her Facebook post that the decision to remove her daughter from life support was difficult, the little girl was in tremendous pain and the doctors confirmed there was nothing else to do.
"Seven years of treatment had done havoc on her tiny little body and she just didn't stand a chance. No matter how hard she fought." Ervin wrote.
"Surrounded by family we told her how beautiful and loved she was. We do not know if she could hear us, but we didn't care."
Ervin wrote that Hannah never gave up planning for the future and had already finished the invitations for her 10th birthday, which she would have celebrated on Aug. 7.
Ervin finished her Facebook post by thanking all those, in person and online, who supported the family and "made life easier" over the years.
"I wish I could (have) met you all," she said.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019