Abby Furco was just 4 years old when she was told she had leukaemia.
Her heartbroken parents were told their beloved daughter only had a 20% chance of living. No parent wants to hear that, and for Abby’s parents it was almost the same as learning that their four-year-old daughter had been sentenced to death.
But the brave little girl did not give up.
The Furco family spent the next six years shuttling back and forth between hospitals and their Virginia Beach home.
Abby finally finished her treatment in October 2013. The family seemed to see a glimmer of hope: 2013 was a “beautiful” year in which she could enjoy life like any other child.
She could play football, go to school, hang out with her friends and join the Girl Scouts. However, Abby’s cancer would not go away, as it had many times before.
The dangerous disease returned a year later, and this time it was even worse than before.
This time, doctors told Abby she had only 48 hours to live. They closed the special care unit so she could spend her last days with her family at home.
Her parents planned the funeral for Abby’s death. They chose the casket and the music to be played at the funeral. Family members flew in to say goodbye.