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GOLDENROD, Fla. — A girl who faced her 6-year fight with cancer by helping others feel beautiful passed away Tuesday.
Talia Joy Castellana, 13, died at 11:22 a.m. that day, according to her official Facebook page. The girl’s YouTube channel, on which she posted makeup tutorials centered around bringing out the inner beauty of everyone, has more than 800,000 subscribers. She began creating the tutorials sometime after her 2007 diagnosis with neuroblastoma in 2007. Preleukemia began appearing in mid-2012. Meanwhile, she focused on helping others outwardly express their inner beauty.
“Please lift her beautiful soul, her beautiful light to heaven and please send your love and prayers to her family during this most difficult time," her Facebook page read. "God speed little one, may you be free from pain and suffering, may your soul feel the light and love that you brought to so many of us on this Earth during the short time you were her (sic) with us. We will miss you more than you will ever know baby girl.”
In her last vlog, posted May 22, she talked about her 4-week stay in the hospital, during which she received several radiation treatments to ease her pain. She listed the many medications she was receiving for pain and anxiety.
“Just a bunch of stuff to help me with my nausea and pain and just coping with everything,” she said. “I just feel safer here right now and I think my anxiety is telling me I should stay right now. I guess that’s what I’m trying to say. That’s the reason I’ve kinda been on the down-low.”
She discussed her hopes for her life and plans for her blog. Then, she encouraged the people she loved to reach out to her on social media.
“I just wanted to say I love you guys. And, I really miss you,” she said.
The girl with perspective beyond her 13 years said she viewed cancer as a gift that could inspire others and was given opportunity to do so through YouTube, among other outlets. She had recently teamed up with clothing designer Urbana Chappa to create the edgy and psychedelic clothing line, That Bald Chick.
The family has planned a small, private funeral for Talia and announced their plans to hold a public tribute on her 14th birthday, August 18.
"As we read message after message, we smile and cry with tears of joy and sadness," the Facebook page read. "We can literally feel how much all of you loved Talia. We can't thank all of you enough for this. Thank you everyone for understanding how special this little girl was to us and to this world."
Those expressing sorrow for the girl included Ellen DeGeneres, who, earlier this year, helped her become an honorary Covergirl.
“It's a sad day at The Ellen DeGeneres show. This morning, we lost a friend,” the EllenTV website read. “Talia Joy Castellano was an inspiring young makeup artist with a lot of talent and a lot of heart. She inspired everyone at the show, and many, many more. Our hearts are with her family. We love you, Talia.”
Tuesday, her sister Mattia took to the makeup guru’s YouTube channel. She shared the news of the Talia’s death and said she would make sure her sister’s goals were completed and wishes fulfilled.
Talia Joy: the fighter, the brave one, the amazing.
–Mattia Castellano
“All that matters is that me and my mom were by her side the entire time, and the last faces she saw were me and hers,” Mattia said. “She wants her name out there forever. She wants to have her legacy out there. She wants her own makeup line, and I’m going to make that happen for her. … Her name is going to continue on forever.”
She thanked her sister’s YouTube followers and said Talia had wanted to meet each of them, to take pictures and do each other’s makeup.
“I appreciate you fans so much for allowing my sister to accomplish all her dreams. She’s already accomplished so much in her short years. And unfortunately, she was taken away too soon,” Mattia said. “But it doesn’t mean she’s going to die, because even though she passed away, her name and all of her dreams and goals that she still has are going to be continuing on because of me, and her mom, and all of her friends who want to make all of her dreams come true when she couldn’t accomplish everything.”
Talia's fans, in the form of vicariously checking off items on her bucket list, have helped her achieve many of her goals. Goals on #taliasbucketlist ranged from the simple, like "dance in the rain" and "buy an underwater camera," to the challenging, like "help a new-be (sic) with cancer."
A room at BASE Camp, Talia’s favorite children’s cancer foundation in Florida, was to be set up in her name, Mattia said.
“We’re just going to let Talia’s name live on. Talia Joy: the fighter, the brave one, the amazing. She’s so talented in every single way and she’s touched millions of hearts. I know she’s touched mine.”
