Dutch Influencer Jade Kops
Dead at 19 After Rare Cancer Battle
Published
A 19-year-old Dutch content creator has died from a rare form of cancer just 2 weeks after she penned a heartbreaking note to her “annoying tumor” to give her more time with loved ones.
Jade Kops died early Friday morning while surrounded by her loved ones, her family announced on her Instagram, which has nearly 450,000 followers. Her death comes about 5 years after she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that usually affects kids younger than 10 and starts in soft tissues — usually muscle — according to Mayo Clinic.
Jade spent her teenage years documenting her journey with rhabdomyosarcoma to help spread awareness and even wrote a bestselling book, “Voor Altijd Jong (Forever Young).”
On April 6, she penned a letter to the tumor in her throat, describing her draining battle against it as it grew inside her, slowly ripping her life away one pain at a time. She wrote … “Instead of living, I’m surviving. Instead of making plans, I’m letting go. I’m intensely tired of you, in a way I can’t even explain. I’m tired of giving in, adjusting, and moving on when everything seems to be falling to a halt. It is just very heavy.”
She added … “You pull me a day closer to death, but I don’t want to leave just yet. I still want to be here. Stay for a while, feel for a while and be close to the people I love.”
Jade’s funeral will be held in private, but her family has announced a time and location for anyone who wishes to pay tribute to her on May 1.
She was only 19.
RIP