Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Brave Young Woman Blogs Until the Very End

by Terrence O'Brien on April 28, 2010 at 06:10 PM

Brave Young Woman Blogs Until the Very End
In modern Western cultures, death is not something easily embraced. Most of us live in either fear or denial of the inevitable. But, as our society becomes more open and, for better or worse, turns us into a generation of over-sharers, death has crept into our public discourse in ways normally reserved for works of high art. The era of social networking and blogs has given anyone with the courage to speak about their experiences a global stage. Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon, had a viral YouTube hit in 2007 with his final lecture about achieving your dreams before succumbing to pancreatic cancer in 2008. And there are more and more sites like CarePages that connect patients suffering from serious medical problems so that they can build friendships and support.

Eva Markvoort, a 25-year-old beauty queen from the suburbs of Vancouver, was just the latest in a growing canon of bloggers who have been brave enough and kind enough to share with us their thoughts and experiences as they face their final days. Markvoort gave the world an unflinching glimpse into her years-long battle with cystic fibrosis. Because she was in danger of being exposed to infections by other patients, she was isolated in a room at Vancouver General Hospital. Alone after visiting hours, and presumably to some extent scared, Markvoort started a LiveJournal account, 65RedRoses, to connect with other patients and the outside world.

While Markvoort never shied away from sharing the harrowing details of her battle with the disease, especially after her body began to reject the double lung transplant she received, she never gave in to self pity and despair. Her posts are filled with celebrations of life, love and an admirable acceptance of her fate.

Her story even inspired a documentary about her struggle, '65 RedRoses,' although that film ends on the hopeful moment when Markvoort receives her lung transplant. Sadly, less than two years later, the young fashionista and college student passed away on the morning of March 27th. Markvoort's message of love, connection and celebration even in the face of death did not end with her last breath, however. This Friday, April 30th, her family and friends will hold a memorial service in her honor, and stream it live for her community of online followers to watch.

Isaac Asimov once said, "If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster." We're glad that Eva took that sentiment to heart, and shared with us all right up until the end. [From: CNN]

Tags: blogging, blogs, death, EvaMarkvoort, inspiring, life, livejournal, socialnetworking, top, web

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular