Family was grieving 13-yr-old who died of cancer—then her dad discovered a 3000-word message behind mirror in her room
Athena Orchard was just 13 years old when she lost her battle with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. But in the days following her passing, the family discovered something that made them feel closer to Athena than ever—a hidden 3,000-word note, written on the back of her bedroom mirror. They found the note while sorting through her belongings at their home in Leicester, England, and what it contained left them in awe of her wisdom and strength, as per PEOPLE. Athena’s note was filled with reflections on life, love, happiness and resilience.
It began with, "Every day is special, so make the most of it. You could get a life-ending illness tomorrow, so make the most of every day. Life is only bad if you make it bad." She expressed her views on happiness, writing, "Happiness depends upon ourselves. Maybe it’s not about the happy ending, maybe it’s about the story. The purpose of life is a life of purpose. The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra." On love, she reflected, "Love is like glass, looks so lovely but it’s easy to shatter. Love is rare, life is strange, nothing lasts, and people change." She also touched upon perseverance, stating, "Never give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about."
Athena also wrote about the pain of being judged, writing, "Don’t be quick to judge me, you only see what I choose to show you…You don’t know the truth. I just want to have fun and be happy without being judged." She shared powerful thoughts on staying strong and resilient, noting, "People gonna hate you, rate you, break you, but how strong you stand, that’s what makes you, you!" Athena also expressed how she wanted to be remembered, saying, "I want to be that girl who makes the bad days better and the one that makes you say my life has changed since I met her!" Her father, Dean, 33, was overwhelmed when he found the message, reported Daily Mail.
"I couldn’t believe it. I saw all this writing; it must have been about 3,000 words. It’s so touching. When I first saw it, it just blew me away." He described Athena as someone who always had deep thoughts about life. "She never mentioned it, but it’s the kind of thing she’d do. She was a very spiritual person, she’d go on about stuff that I could never understand – she was so clever." Dean had given up his work as a landscape gardener to care for Athena, and he struggled to read the entire message, saying he had to "stop because it was too much. It was heartbreaking."
Her mother, Caroline, recalled how Athena remained strong, even in her final days. "She was always positive; even when she was in hospital, she would be looking after me, making sure I ate and telling me not to cry." Athena’s words now remain in the home she shared with her six sisters and three brothers—Naysa, Letissia-Dior, Indika-Mayah, Tiana, Harley, Porscha, Ethan, Clayton and Ria. Her mother remarked, "We’re keeping the mirror forever; it is a part of her we can keep in the house; it will always be in her room. Just reading her words felt like she was still here with us."