A 15-month-old New Brunswick girl who captured the hearts of Maritimers has died after a battle with leukemia.
Marlie Curwin underwent several rounds of chemotherapy at the IWK Health Centre after being diagnosed in January.
Marlie’s aunt, Kellie Curwin, posted a statement Tuesday on the ‘Help for Marlie’ Facebook page, confirming the little girl has passed away.
“Despite all of our efforts, our prayers, our thoughts, our good intentions...Marlie has lost her fight. She fought so, so hard. She was the bravest person I know,” says Curwin in the Facebook post.
“We are so grateful to each and everyone one of you who felt a connection with Marlie.”
She goes on to say that Marlie will be remembered for being funny, smart and feisty.
“My life was so much better having had her in it,” says Curwin.
“She has touched and inspired more people in her short life than most do in an entire lifetime! I'm so proud of her! Thank you all for all the love and support!”
Doctors determined Marlie needed a bone marrow transplant so her family organized drives in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to help find a match and hundreds of people agreed to be swabbed.
When a few family friends learned some of the best candidates for Marlie’s bone marrow transplant would be healthy men between the ages of 17 and 35, they asked military officials if they would hold a drive at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown. They approved the drive almost immediately.
As Marlie’s story spread, members of the Maritime community ramped up efforts to find a match online. They also contributed more than $12,000 through a GoFundMe page to help Marlie’s family.
