I Dare You Not To Cry
This is probably the most heart wrenching thing I have ever seen. Elena Desserich was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer when she was just five years old.
Between the time she was diagnosed and the time she died when she was six, Elena hid hundreds of notes all over the house she shared with her parents and sister. She hid the notes between the pages of books, in cupboards, drawers, bags, and clothes stashed away for the winter.
Her parents found the first notes a few days after she died and ever since have been finding them at regular intervals. Her parents decided to make a book called Notes Left Behind.
Elena addressed the notes to her parents, to her sister, her grandparents and even her dog. Despite losing the ability to speak and the onset of what would become permanent paralysis, Elena kept writing the notes and kept hiding them.
Because the parents are afraid they will someday find all the notes, they each have one unopened note they carry with them at all times.
"It's our way of saving the last note," said Elena's mom.
All the proceeds from the book are going to be used for cancer research.
