Sarah Crane behind 'Sarah Strong' campaign dies of cancer
By Alex Greig
PUBLISHED: 10:12 EST, 8 December 2013 | UPDATED: 11:17 EST, 8 December 2013
A 15-year-old Indiana girl whose brave struggle with cancer who inspired thousands, including stars like CeeLo Green and Tom Cruise, has died.
The purple Sarah Strong campaign began when Sarah Crane of Michiana was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in July, one of the youngest people ever to be diagnosed with such an advanced form of the disease.
Sarah Crane's grace and courage in the face of such an ordeal inspired her whole community, who turned out en masse in purple 'Sarah Strong' t-shirts to raise money for the Crane family in fun runs, parades, cookouts and car washes.
'No matter what, I'm still going to wear my shirt for Sarah,' 13-year-old Nick Matthews told WNDU today.
Sarah was a sophomore at Elkhart Memorial High School when she became one of the youngest people ever to be diagnosed with such an advanced form of colon cancer.
'She had run two days before that and it was a six-mile run. Just think about how difficult that must have been,' her track coach told ABC 57.
The aggressive disease was relentless, but Sarah refused to give in. Despite the grim prognosis from doctors, she vowed to beat the disease and had embarked on a third round of chemo when her body finally gave out.
'Sarah was handed a terminal prognosis but remained defiant to death and defeat and wished to continue with treatment, regardless of side-effect or pain,' he wrote, adding that his daughter refused to give up if there was even the slightest chance of improvement.
He wrote that at Sarah's next scan, her cancer had not diminished, but had not grown, either - a positive development. 'The past several scans and reports showcased an aggressive cancer that refused to respond to any chemotherapy. Strokes and clots had ravished Sarah while the tumors spread from her colon to her liver, lung, bowels, bladder and uterus.
'However, the scan today was different.... there was no movement...In our world, that is a victory. That is an opportunity to glean something positive. Sarah stated "maybe our prayers are beginning to be answered" and her subsequent smile reminded me of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.'
Her grandmother told ABC57 that Sarah died surrounded by family.