“We all dream of the future, see ourselves as what we want to be in a few years, postpone all the things we can do today, and we think we have our whole lives ahead of us. We take our time to live, take our time to enjoy each new day, take our time to love, and spend time with our closest people, wasting it on things that sometimes don’t matter at all....CONTINUE READING
And only when it’s too late do we realize how much time has been wasted and begin to appreciate every day that passes. There is never much time, and the story of little Lila May will be the best proof of that. And unfortunately, it won’t have a happy ending. [Music] My heart is broken into a million pieces,” were the exact words Lila’s mother, Heidi Hall, tearfully wrote on her Facebook page about her little girl. “There is no worse thing on earth than this.
The Oregon girl was supposed to have her whole life ahead of her, but at the age of two, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer. The little girl had fought this terrible disease like a real fighter for several years, and there was a small chance, but just before her fifth birthday, Lila’s parents found out that it would be her last big celebration. One more chemotherapy course would simply not be survivable in the tortured body of their baby.
When doctors told their mother that Lila’s body was too weak to continue treatment, her family and huge community came together to bring her as much joy as they could for the time remaining. When her mother asked the little girl shortly before her birthday what she dreamed of, Lila replied that she wanted to experience having and feel everything that time would take away from her mother and father. Heidi Hall and Ryan Shaw made a willful decision for themselves. They tried to fit many of the moments you would have to experience in the future into this last celebration for their girl. A huge number of strangers got involved and helped with the organization.
On that day, July 31st, their princess arrived at the true ball. The little girl was dressed in a fabulous dress and a beautiful tiara. Among the guests were mermaids, princesses, and superheroes. The carriage brought Lila to a castle-style building in the center of her hometown, and the square in front of it was crowded with people. Hundreds of strange men and women, adults and children, came to support her. All of them were ready to do a lot for the smile on the face of a little person, even if she was a complete stranger. Once inside the building, she found herself in the real kingdom of Cinderella.
Lila really loved princesses. The little girl could not believe that this was happening in reality. A graduation ceremony was organized for the girl because this is the day that becomes a milestone for former students. It’s a stepping stone to adulthood, and at her five, she experienced this exciting moment the way she should have experienced it many years later, with complete seriousness and responsibility. All the invited guests smiled and clapped, and the baby was over the moon. After that, the next court of the celebration was her wedding.
Her father, Ryan, got down on one knee and asked if she was ready to be his one and only, most desirable in the world. He proposed to Lila and asked for her hand and heart, which had belonged to him. Lila answered yes with great pleasure. After these words, all the guests were overwhelmed with emotion. Her father hugged his baby girl, barely holding back tears. Ryan danced the first dance with his little treasure, and those moments will forever be remembered by many. Lila said later that what she liked the best was the moment when my daddy cried, even though she didn’t understand why, probably because he was very happy.
The girl added news of the whole town’s generosity and the princess’s dream made headlines around the world, drawing attention to the story. Lila still had one more dream to dance on the stage with Luke Bryant, the American country singer and songwriter the little girl loved so much. Whenever she hears his songs play, she starts dancing. Lila’s mom said, if she could be on stage with him while he sings that song, it would be the best gift for her. After reading about the little girl’s wish on Facebook, Brian took the chance to make the little girl’s dream come true.
Luke personally called her and talked to her on the phone for 30 minutes, and then he encouraged her parents. They were very impressed by the star’s act. Ryan also recorded a special video message for Lila, saying that she and her family would get VIP tickets to the upcoming concert he was going to. Let Lila sing her favorite song with him on the huge stage, but unfortunately, the little girl never got to go to her idol’s concert.
The girl’s condition rapidly worsened, and she was placed in a hospice, and a few days later, she finally lost her battle with cancer, devastating the hearts of inconsolable parents. All of Oregon came to say goodbye to her. Thanks for the support of the community and residents, Lila’s final weeks were filled with moments of true love, genuine emotion, and true joy. Lila’s father said, “I’m grateful to everyone. I’m thankful for what you did for us,” and the picture of the fragile little girl posted later by her mother on Facebook inspires thousands of people with her smile on her face.
