This story brought tears to my eyes.

At age five, Elena Desserich was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer. As the tumor grew, Elena started to lose her voice, leaving her to communicate with her parents and sister through notes. Although Elena died in 2007, she didn’t stop communicating with her family--her parents discovered that Elena had hidden love notes to her family all over their home.

You can read the notes and learn more about Elena’s short but inspiring life in the book called Notes Left Behind written by her parents Keith and Brooke. Watch the book promo video:

Proceeds from the book will go towards The Cure Starts Now, the non-profit they founded to help find a cure for cancer.