Follow-Up of the Day: Baby With The Bucket List Dies
Avery Canahuati, the baby with the bucket list, lost her battle with spinal muscular atrophy Monday afternoon. A letter on her blog, written in her voice, encourages her family, friends, and supporters to carry on the fight:
Dear Mommy & Daddy: If you're reading this it's because I've gone to take care of my Uncle Bryant, Nana Carolyn, Papa George, and all my great Grandparents. I love you veeeeeeeeeery much. Also, tell Nana & G-Pa I love them too. In fact, tell everyone who loved me that I love them and I appreciate them caring about me. When I started writing my blog, I thought I'd only be speaking to my closest friends and family members. Little did I know soooooooo many people would care about me and while I'm flattered to have so many people who love me, I hope they will also take time to love and care about all of my friends out there with SMA. You see, I'd never heard of SMA prior to being diagnosed with it, yet there's thousands of my friends out there living with it today and millions of my future friends parents who are unknowingly carriers of the SMA gene. Without awareness and without a cure, I'm afraid more of my friends are at risk to have their lives drastically shortened by SMA. When people think of me, I hope they'll also think of all my friends who have been through this and who are going through this now. But what I really hope for is that when people think about me, they will not waste time sitting there feeling sorry for me, rather I hope they will STAND UP in honor of me and all of my friends (past, present, and future). And they can do so by spreading awareness and helping to fund a cure for my friends. To all my SMAns, you followed me, now please follow all of my friends. Mommy. Daddy. I love you every bit as much as you love me. And while I'm not here physically, I will forever live in your minds, as you will mine. Love always, Avery, Aviator, Aves, Scuttlebutt