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ULVERSTON, England — The British teenager who became a viral sensation after publishing a "bucket list" of things she wanted to do has died of cancer.
Alice Pyne died Saturday at age 17 after having fought Hodgekin's lymphoma for many years. Her mother, Vicky Pyne, reported it on Alice's blog.
"Our darling girl, Alice, gained her angel wings today," she said. "She passed away peacefully with Simon, Milly and myself by her side. We are devastated and know that our lives will never again be the same."
Alice captured the attention of the world in 2011 after publishing a list on her blog of things she wanted to achieve before she died.
She finished her list in August after going on a whale-watching trip to Canada.
"Whale watching was probably one of the main things on my bucket list and I've wanted to go for as long as I can remember but I'd kind of accepted that I would never get to do this one," she wrote at the time. She later thanked everyone who had made the experience possible.
Before her list was complete, she had stayed in a caravan, swum with sharks and entered her dog in a Labrador show, along with more simple achievements like getting a massage.
Also on Alice's bucket list was a goal to get everyone eligible to join the bone marrow registry. It is estimated that because of her story, more than 40,000 people to put themselves on the list, according to the North-West Evening Mail.
"It would have been impossible to ignore the enthusiasm that Alice inspired in young people, an enthusiasm which has translated into thousands of 16 and 17-year-olds joining the register and taking their place in history as the world's youngest bone marrow donors.," said Henry Braund, CEO of the Anthony Nolan register.
"There are no real words to describe Alice," he continued. "Every time she shared her story, more people listened and responded by signing up to bone marrow registers worldwide."
An "RIP Alice Pyne" page was created on Facebook, but Vicky Pyne wrote on Alice's page that she felt it better to write messages on Alice's wall.
"I have no doubt that it was meant in the best possible way, but Alice's energy was put into sharing her life with you all via her blog, her Twitter feed and her Facebook account," she said. "Because of this, it feels only right that any messages of support or any stories you may wish to share, be here, on the wall she loved to read."
Pyne said she had requested that the page be removed, but "having now been blocked by the site admin (they reported me as 'spam'), I can only assume they have no intention of respecting our wishes."
Thousands of people from around the world have commented on Alice's Facebook page, telling stories of how her battle with cancer affected their own lives.
"Alice, you will be missed by us all, but never forgotten," wrote Kate W. "Your smile will always make me smile, and your courage and will to make a difference for others shall always be remembered and will continue to make a wave."
