Lilah Bishop

This article was in The Advertiser today...how sad.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/little-girls-bravery-an-inspiration/story-fn6bqpju-1226070572618



Little Lilah Bishop has only days to live before a rare brain tumour takes her from this world.

As her beautiful, but tragic, 19-month life nears its end, her heartbroken, yet inspired, parents have just one wish for the future.

"Relish in the simple things with your children. Never take anything for granted when you are with them," Andrea Bishop told The Advertiser.

"We celebrate every month, every day, every second and every breath we have with her. We understand some people will see Lilah and shed a tear, but we want positive things to come from her journey."

At seven months pregnant, Mrs Bishop was induced and told her soon-to-be-born baby had a less-than-5-per-cent chance of living beyond a few minutes after birth.

Lilah is suffering from craniopharyngioma - there have been just five documented cases of the tumour occurring while a baby is still in the womb - and she has already survived eight months longer than anyone else diagnosed with her condition.

"We were told the tumour was growing over sites in her brain, which would prevent her from breathing, seeing and affect her ability to learn, yet she continues to do all those things. She is our miracle baby," Mrs Bishop, of Colonel Light Gardens, said.

"We think she has lived off love. The love from her family and all those who have met or thought about her."

Last month, Lilah was too unwell to celebrate so her family decided to issue a challenge to all the friends they would have invited to her 19th-month anniversary on May 20.

"We wrote a letter telling everyone to live life for Lilah on this day," she said.

"Do things that Lilah could not do on that day. Have fun with your children, spend the time that you would have spent at the party together as a family and then tell us and Lilah what you did."

The response was overwhelming - more than 76 people so far have written back and hundreds have sent messages describing how they spent Lilah's day enjoying their family's love.

A Facebook site for Lilah has attracted thousands of comments from cancer sufferers, parents and well-wishers from as far away as Kenya and Lebanon.

Her story also has inspired candles to be lit for her at churches in Italy and Austria.

"When you have a child who does not have long to live, you want to see her leave a legacy. She has touched so many people. She has affected more people in 19 months than most people do in a lifetime," Mrs Bishop said.

so sad

alexczarn wrote:

"When you have a child who does not have long to live, you want to see her leave a legacy. She has touched so many people. She has affected more people in 19 months than most people do in a lifetime," Mrs Bishop said.

And that is what is amazing about this. She has some remarkable parents, that is for certain. It IS sad, but this is beautiful too....I totally believe in her mother's theory, that her parents and family's love has helped her to thrive as long as she has. That picture is beautiful....although my initial instinct was to shed a tear, after reading the article, looking back at it made me smile.

Savannah wrote:

Andrea Bishop wrote:

"Relish in the simple things with your children. Never take anything
for granted when you are with them," Andrea Bishop told The Advertiser.

This is one of my life-goals - to never take for granted the people I love....to cherish every moment I have with them, because there's no guarantee that they (or I) will be here tomorrow, even if they're young and healthy. Life doesn't have any such guarantees.

Absolutely.

I also wanted to cry after reading this article, but Lilah's parents didn't share their story to make us cry. They wanted to show us they will spend every single day as if it was the last one they shuld live with her daughter, for they loves her deeply. Even if they know she'll die, they didn't considers her as an "already dead" baby. Lilah is still alive and they will be not mourning her before her departure to the beatiful shore.

Vanesa.

Vanesa wrote:

I also wanted to cry after reading this article, but Lilah's parents didn't share their story to make us cry. They wanted to show us they will spend every single day as if it was the last one they shuld live with her daughter, for they loves her deeply. Even if they know she'll die, they didn't considers her as an "already dead" baby. Lilah is still alive and they will be not mourning her before her departure to the beatiful shore.

Vanesa.

Beautifully written, Vanesa. So heartfelt it almost made me cry! Your English is getting better and beter.....and better!

Amy wrote:

Your English is getting better and beter.....

That zing you heard was the irony meter going right off the scale.



(sometimes it's fun to be me)

Rob wrote:

Amy wrote:

Your English is getting better and beter.....

That zing you heard was the irony meter going right off the scale.



(sometimes it's fun to be me)

Oh, Rob! Don't be so MEAN!

And thanks, Amy! I try t improve my English writing here and in other Forums day by day. If yu are learning a language you must practice it a lot...and noticing how its native speakers speaks and writes it.

Vanesa.

God sends these little ones to teach us how to live. Some he leaves here for awhile and makes it a process...Helen Keller comes to mind. Lilah will be in Heaven playing with other children without a care or problem one. That is so encouraging.

No one lives without a purpose. Lilah Bishop has one: to touch people's heart. It was more than most of us do in long lives of 80 years or more...

Lilah is now in heaven, playing with other little angels like she was.

Vanesa.