Edmonton's Julie Rohr dies six years after cancer diagnosis
An Edmonton woman whose story led to a massive show of support across social media has died six years after her initial cancer diagnosis.
Julie Rohr's family confirmed the news from her Twitter account on Thursday afternoon. She was 38.
The thread of tweets thanked Rohr's supporters for being "part of her journey."
"So many of you went from being Twitter friends to real-life friends," the tweet read in part. "She was so grateful for that, for you, for the experience. She cherished your support and friendship."
The thread goes on to share Rohr's final wish, which was to tweet out a message to her friends.
"Friends, it’s been a wonderful life," Rohr's message read. "I leave with some sadness, of course; I wish I could have stayed with you much longer. I had so many memories to make, so much I still wanted to do, say and experience.
“But I leave this earthly world with no regrets - I have told the ones I love how much I love them, I have opened my heart to life and many of you have opened your hearts back to me in turn. My life experience has been rich and beauty-filled.
“Thank you for your support in the past years. My family & I have been incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and encouragement from so many of you. I often said it lifted me above the pain and suffering of the disease I lived with.
"Cry for a time, however long that may be. Feel the grief you feel, as I allowed myself to do. Lean into the pain of goodbye. But eventually, lift your face towards the sun and allow joyful memories to be the lingering thought. Both and I hope I brought you joy.
"I hope I enriched your life experience. I hope my story inspired you to reach for strength & love even on the hardest, most painful days. Every day is a gift. May yours be full of beauty and wonder.
"This is goodbye for now. I leave you with some of my favourite poems, 'Epitaph,' by Merrit Malloy, & words of Mary Oliver. Be good to each other. Be kind to yourselves. May you open your heart to love even though it means inevitable pain.”
In 2015, Rohr was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that grows in smooth muscles. And last week, Rohr announced that she was moving to hospice care.
'TREMENDOUS INSPIRATION AND POSITIVITY'
During a Thursday afternoon media availability, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson reacted to Rohr's death, calling it "heartbreaking."
"But I think the reason it's heartbreaking is because of the gift that she and her friends and family have shared with us through her cancer journey, which is one of tremendous inspiration and positivity," he said.
"On behalf of the City of Edmonton, our hearts go out to Julie's family."
Earlier this week, Rohr's story garnered so much attention that it reached Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy who tweeted out a video to support her during her final days.
Levy's gesture was the first of several from Canadian celebrities including Ryan Reynolds and Rick Mercer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Security Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.