Nelina

Born on October 31, 2009, Nelina, affectionately nicknamed Pumpkin, fully embraced the Halloween spirit that came with her special birthdate. From a young age, she revelled in selecting her mother's costumes and joyfully celebrated the holiday each year.

In her first four years of life, Nelina Lyon Ann grew into an active girl who cherished outdoor activities. She delighted in swimming, jumping in puddles, running through sprinklers on hot summer days, and even enjoyed rock climbing with her father.

Nelina possessed a penchant for trying new things. She had her preferences too, with pizza and spaghetti ranking as her favourite foods, and pink and purple as her beloved colours. She nurtured a collection of treasured possessions, valuing her stuffed animals and rocks, while also demonstrating an emerging talent for photography.

When she hit school age, Nelina made many friends and had many adventures on the playground in her two years of kindergarten.

In 2014, while staying with her grandmother, Nelina's sudden inability to walk properly and slurring of speech prompted a visit to SickKids in Toronto. There, she received the devastating diagnosis of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare brain tumour. Nelina began palliative radiation therapy, undergoing 30 sessions that allowed her to spend eight precious months in senior kindergarten with her friends. During this time, she and her family created lasting memories, embarking on weekend adventures and fulfilling her cherished Make-A-Wish trip to Disney. A second round of radiation in April 2015 brought some improvement to her condition, but the discovery of chest tumours in July of the same year necessitated chemotherapy. This treatment provided the family with an additional five months together.

Nelina passed away peacefully on Jan. 19 2016 with her loving parents by her side.