Goodbye, Gracie

Some things just don't make any sense.

Today I heard the awful news that Gracie, the 8-year-old daughter of two photojournalist friends, lost her battle with brain cancer. She was diagnosed with a brain glioma in December. She turned 8 in February.

It's a rare type of cancer, and although they treated it as aggressively as they could, the prognosis was poor from the onset. For a while, even though she was receiving radiation and chemo, you would never know she was so sick. She smiled, laughed, danced. She was this effervescent kid that just glowed and made you happy to be around her.

The past month or so, she's declined steadily. She finally had her Make-A-Wish--meeting Katy Perry. She lost the use of one leg and arm, but was still all smiles as she was wheeled around in an umbrella stroller. She had this amazing spirit. A way of making you believe that anything was possible. You wanted to believe that she could beat this thing.

It's become so much tougher to hear stories like this since we brought Little Man home. To imagine this world without him...it's more than I can do. Because Gracie's parents are both amazing documentary photojournalists, her battle with cancer, as her entire life, has been well documented. Through these photos, I saw the slow changes in Gracie. But what really smacked me over the head was the changes in her parents. The fear and grief had etched deep lines in their faces. Their eyes, swollen from nights without sleep and months of tears.

This morning I heard the terrible news that she lost the battle. She passed away with her siblings and parents by her side.

Gracie is gone.

Some things just don't make any sense.

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Here's a link to a recent news piece about Gracie and her family. Please hold them in your thoughts today.