This is our Elena
She always eats her vegetables.
She can never wear enough pink.
She always writes her name backward - not because she doesn't know how to write it, but because she "just likes the way it looks".
She crosses her legs when she sits.
There is nothing better than art class, except, of course, a trip to the library.
Fiction is better than nonfiction.
Skip the pop, give her milk. And pour it in a wineglass and say "cheers".
She loves "squibble-squabbles" (lace and ruffles).
Tights are best when in jungle patterns and polka dots.
No pants, only dresses.
She loves babies.
When you play school, she is always the teacher.
Mom is best for cuddling.
Sally (a grumpy old Chihuahua) is the best pet she never had.
You can never have enough headbands.
All she ever wants in life is to be a mom.
She is simple. She is our Elena.
Notes Left Behind is a 2009 Non-Fiction book written by wife and husband Brooke and Keith Desserich and published by HarperCollins.
It is an autobiographical work that accounts for the life of Brooke and Keith's late daughter, Elena after she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The book is structured in a way similar to a diary that starts with Elena's diagnosis up until her death, followed by an afterword on how Elena influenced and inspired her parents and younger sister. The title of the book is based on events that happened out of Brooke and Keith's sight, namely that after her diagnosis, Elena had been making notes that she kept hidden around her household that professes her thoughts and affection towards her family.
Notes Left Behind provides examples of:
- Autobiography: Though centered around Elena Desserich, it is written by Elena's parents, Brooke and Keith, and tells their daughter's story from their perspective in a diary format. Despite Elena's passing, the book ends in a "Ray of Hope" Ending with Brooke and Keith talking about how their daughter inspired them partly thanks to her secretly writing notes she scattered around their house post-cancer diagnosis and setting up an organization called Cure Starts Now to raise awareness for childhood cancer.
- Bittersweet Ending: Brooke and Keith lose their daughter to DIPG, but they were able to make the most out of Elena's last days and were inspired to create an organization based on her, The Cure Starts Now, dedicated to raising awareness of Pediatric Cancer and those who are diagnosed, with the intent of one day finding a cure to cancer.
- Dead Man Writing: Elena was said to have made and written a lot of notes and hid them around the house after her diagnosis. It wasn't until sometime after her death that her parents and younger sister began to find them. Most of these messages simply state "I love you, mom, dad, Gracie" and are usually shaped in hearts.
- Death of a Child: Elena Desserich passed away on August 11th, 2007. However, while she was expected to live up to only 135 days after diagnosis, Elena surpassed expectations for living up to 255 days.
- Girly Girl: The introductory paragraphs involving Elena showcases that she really likes activities or things that are normally associated with girls.
- Outliving One's Offspring: The book is about a couple who have to deal with the fact that their 6-year-old daughter is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and only had months left to live.
- The Topic of Cancer: Elena is diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a type of cancer that usually occurs in children and is located in the brain stem. The cancer is terminal, hence her parents decided they would do the most to make Elena's last days as memorable and fun as possible.
- Your Days Are Numbered: As DIPG is said to be terminal upon diagnosis, the doctors said that Elena would only have around 135 days left to live. She died after 255 days, having lived 120 days longer than what was anticipated.
