Brielle “Brie” Bird has died at the age of 9 after battling stage-4 cancer.
Bird’s mom, Kendra Bird, announced the news via Instagram on Friday, December 12. Her daughter passed away the day before.
“You are the miracle!” Kendra wrote alongside a photo of her daughter smiling. “Your purpose on earth was fulfilled, and it was the most sacred privilege to escort you home. You brought people to Christ, you showed the world that God is good, and your light shined to all corners of the earth. We love you for eternity!”
She continued, “We will look for you in all the details, especially the dragonfly’s. We will never stop sharing your story. Please come visit us often. Your bedroom door is always open, and we’ll leave the playroom light on.”
In conclusion, Kendra wrote, “You did it Brielle, you did everything with grace! I can only imagine the incredible reunion, and I’m so jealous; but I know you ran straight to Jesus. 😭.”
“Thank you,” she added, “for being an inspiration to so many.”
Soon after Kendra posted the announcement, followers of her and Brie’s @briestrongerthancancer account voiced their condolences in the comments section.
“Oh! This took my breath away. Just standing in my kitchen in grief, in gratitude and in awe,” Viola Davis remarked. “What a lifeforce….an anointed beauty….an elixir to remind us of love. Angels are flying her home. Praying for you and your family….always. Thank you for her ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
Brie was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer in 2020 and placed in hospice earlier this year. In September, Kendra shared that she was inspired by the way Today’s Sheinelle Jones spoke about “finding beauty in the heartbreak” after her husband, Uche Ojeh, died after a battle with cancer last May.
“She mentions that ‘even though she is moving forward, squeezing everything she can out of life, she is fighting for her joy,’” Kendra wrote via Instagram of Jones, 47. “I am often asked, ‘How are you doing?’ It’s become a question, that I not only don’t know how to answer, but I also feel like I’m completely lying, if I reply with one word answers. I know that people know our story, and when I think about what they know, and how broken I really am, I can’t get myself to say, ‘hanging in there’ anymore. I am broken and hurting. I am now going to reply with, ‘I’m fighting for my joy.’”
In October, Kendra uploaded a family photo to Instagram, reflecting, “We have many beautiful moments in our home, and this one stood out to me. As I sat by Brielle’s bedside one morning, she turned over and said, ‘Someone is talking to me from heaven, an older person, I don’t know if it was a grandma or grandpa; they said my name.’ I of course, put on my brave face, and asked her what else the angels are saying to her. She couldn’t keep her eyes open for long, but reassured me that she would let me know what else they say.”
