Days After She Passed, Her Parents Found A Secret Message On The Back Of Her Mirror

June 4, 2014

A 12-year-old cancer victim left a secret note to her family on the back of her mirror that they will cherish forever.

Credit: Caters News Agency

Athena's father, Dean, found the message a few days after his daughter lost her battle with the terminal disease on May 28.

Athena / Credit: Caters News Agency

"She never mentioned it, but it's the kind of thing she'd do," he told the Leicester Mercury.

Her message was clear; make the most of every day.

Excerpts from Athena's message:

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. Happiness is a direction not a destination.

Thank you for existing. Be happy, be free, believe, forever young.

You know my name, not my story.

You have heard what I've done, but not what I've been through.

Love is like glass, looks so lovely, but it's easy to shatter.

Love is rare, life is strange, nothing lasts and people change.

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.

If someone loves you then they wouldn't let you slip away no matter how hard the situation is.

Remember that life is full of ups and downs, without the downs the ups don't mean anything.

I'm waiting to fall in love with someone I can open my heart to.

Love is not about who you can see spending your future with it's about who you can't see spending your life without.

Life is a game for everyone but love is the only prize.