A 27-year-old who tragically passed away from a rare form of cancer has continued to inspire since her death after sharing a heartbreaking letter.
Cancer is a horrible disease that can strike at any time, with Holly Butcher losing her life to ewing's sarcoma - a rare form of tumour - back in 2018.
The Aussie woman was already beloved by friends and family but she made a name for herself across the whole world when penning an emotional final letter about coming to terms with her own mortality and sharing advice for those lucky enough to live a longer life.
She wrote: "It's a strange thing knowing you're going to die young. At 26, I thought I had time....
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"To fall in love. Start a family. Grow old. But cancer doesn't care about plans.
"Now I understand how fragile life really is. Every single day is a gift, not a guarantee.
"I'm not writing this to scare you. I'm writing to remind you: really live."
Stress has been identified as one of the top killers and it's more prevalent now than ever, with people worrying about jobs, bills and looking perfect in a world which is dominated by how people look and behave online, but Holly's letter serves as a reminder to be kinder to ourselves and stop worrying about little things that don't really matter.
She added: "Stop stressing over little things. Be kind to your body - move it, nourish it, stop criticising it. One day you'll wish you had appreciated it.
"Go outside. Look at the sun. Feel the sun. Just be. Spend less time chasing 'stuff' - more time making memories. Don't skip moments with people you love.
"Laugh more. Write a note. Tell someone you love them. Complain less. Give more. Helping others brings more joy than anything you can buy."
Particularly among young people, it seems to be a common concern right now that we're all a bit too addicted to our phones, with doomscrolling taking over our lives and providing us with small boosts of serotonin that aren't good for our health.
Unsurprisingly Holly urged people in her letter to put the technology down and go and make more memories with the people you love.
She concluded: "Be present. Put your phone down. Show up - really show up.
"You don't need to have it all figured out. You don't need a perfect body, or a perfect life.
"Just follow what makes your heart light up. Say no to what drains you. Make changes when you need to.
"And please, donate blood. I wouldn't have had that extra year without it. And that year gave me memories I'll hold close... forever.
"Thank you for reading this. Life your life well. And maybe... we'll meet again someday."
In addition to Holly's letter below, her partner Luke had his own words to add:
"I really want people to know that what Holly wrote in her letter wasn’t a sudden realisation she had in the last few precious months we had together. That’s how she lived her life!
"From the first day we met, she told me that work & my business were never going to define me as a person but would be simply an accomplishment along the way. She taught me how to stop and smell the roses, how to love & how to let someone love me. She backed me 100% everyday, told me when I was being an arse and told me when she was proud.
"She was humble, confident, shy, so so smart & beautiful all in one. She was a hell of a woman and an even better person. If I ever have a daughter and she could turn out to be half the girl Hol was, I would be one proud father."
Topics: Cancer, Mental Health, Technology
James Moorhouse