Obituary of Leigh- Anne Cox

Leigh-Anne Cox Glace Bay June 24,2005 - June 5, 2020 It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of our beautiful girl, Leigh-Anne, age 14. After a very long and courageous battle with the beast, God called our girl home on Friday, June 5th, 2020. Leigh-Anne was a blessing. She was a kind hearted, compassionate, loving, beautiful girl with an infectious laugh, a terrific sense of humor and a smile that would light up every room. She was a Dungeons and Dragons playing, music loving, deep thinking, animal loving, old soul who adored anything antique! She was our plant whisperer, only ever buying ones she felt needed a little extra care and nurturing them back to health. Leigh-Anne enjoyed looking for beach glass, sleeping in the trailer, hanging out by the pool and spending time with her friends on and offline. She loved Delissio Pizza, Grandma’s spaghetti, a second bowl of cereal in the same milk, her Dad’s carbonara, homemade popsicles with her favorite juice, Michael’s seafood chowder and her favorite thirst quencher...Diet Pepsi AKA “nectar of the Gods” as she called it and it wasn’t complete without a metal straw. Leigh-Anne loved all animals especially her little, big boy Bruiser and her big, little boy, Beau Jangles. These pups brought her so many smiles, joy and comfort. They loved her as much as she loved them. Leigh-Anne loved visiting her Dad’s family bungalow in Mira and spending time at our cottage in Ingonish. She spent many years in Tae Kwon Do, she absolutely loved it! She had been a swimmer, a ballerina and a gymnast, but TKD was her passion. She was a nature lover and had the utmost respect for Mother Earth. She was adamant that we need to do our part to help preserve and protect our planet before it’s too late. She took many measures to do her part and always encouraged the people around her to do the same. So, in her memory, please do your part, don’t litter, use reusable bottles and straws, save an unmowed piece of grass to help the bees....every little bit helps. Do a kind deed or say a kind word, smile a bit more, it’s contagious. Try to find the good in every day and be thankful for the life you’ve been given. Leigh-Anne was truly a gift from God, a beautiful soul, wise beyond her years and taken far too soon. Leigh-Anne is survived by her mom and best friend, Adele (Michael MacDonald), her dad John (Tanya DeLaval), Granny Greats (Connie Weyman), her Grandma and Grandpa whom she absolutely adored (Brian and Margie Curtis), her Papa Jack (Dora Harris), auntie Meagan and auntie Nikki, and her cousins Jordan, Callum, Haley, Makkie and her big sisters at heart, Emmy and Lisha. Leigh-Anne is also survived by some of the best friends a girl could ask for: her long time best friend and partner in crime, our much loved Katie Marie. These two girls along with Morgan and Jessie made countless memories over the years, with lots of smiles, fun and laughter, Leigh-Anne was fortunate enough to reconnect with an old, dear friend a while back. Kindra took our girl under her wing and they never looked back. Kindra along with Breagha, Cole, Jesse, Nathan, Tessa, and Jacob...AKA “the gang”, a truly incredible group of kids that welcomed her into their friend group with open arms and provided her with a place to be herself. Pool parties, get togethers, trips to the mall or out to dinner. Thank you for being the quirky and amazing kids you are. Leigh-Anne truly thought the world of you. Last but not least, to her “Sha-na-nah”, her bestie, shopping partner and dinner date, Shaunah Kelly, with whom we spent countless hours shopping at the mall, hanging out poolside and weekly dinner dates at Swiss Chalet, even socially distanced visits in the driveway and through the window. XOXO. Thank you to the IWK oncology team, the wonderful 6 Link nurses, our beautiful FCC April Connolly, Leigh-Anne’s initial primary oncologist Dr. Jason Berman, her current primary oncologist Dr. Bruce Crooks and to Dr. Ketan Kulkarni and Dr. Vicki Price. Thank you all for everything you’ve done for our girl and our family over these last few years. To Dr.Colwell and Dr. Seviour, IWK Palliative Care and Pain Team doctors for being there at the touch of a button to answer all questions and ensure our girl was comfortable and pain free. To Dr. Katy Kellock...you are truly one of a kind; not only are you an incredible doctor but also a beautiful soul. Thank you for everything. Your time, effort, care and concern has never gone unnoticed- every social visit, home visit, phone call and text message, for every guided step along this journey....from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Dr. Martin Abenheimer, Dr. Rowan Kerr-Liddell, Dr. Heidi Budden you have all played a significant role along the way, always doing whatever necessary to help our girl and for that we are forever in your debt. To Nancy, Sherrie and our VON team, thank you for being here day after day to ensure our girl stayed comfortable and pain free. Last but certainly not least, to our Peds family, saying thank you could never be enough. A more compassionate, caring and loving group of people would be impossible to find. To our nurses Tara, Carissa, Andrea, Victoria and all of our nursing family….thank you. They love deeply; they are truly angels on Earth. Nursing is not what they do, it’s who they are. This team of nurses, doctors, and support staff....they have gone above and beyond every single day, not only for our girl, but for us, as her family. This team is truly second to none. To use the word “amazing” when referring to them would be an understatement. We love you and appreciate you more than you could ever possibly know. We would also like to extend a thank you to our family physician Dr. Melanie Adams, Dr. Erin MacKenzie (ND) and Lauren Clare Duggen for your help and support. From one end of the province to the other, we had a health care team that not only provided the necessary care for Leigh-Anne over the last three years of this journey, but each and every one of them was touched by her and amazed by her strength, courage and positive outlook. Not only did she amaze them, but everyone who had the pleasure to meet her or hear her story. To the staff of Medical Hall Pharmasave, the last piece in our health care team puzzle, we can’t thank you enough for the love, prayers, and kindness you’ve shown. To our friends and families, thank you for all of the love, support, encouragement, positive thoughts and prayers over the years. I don’t know what we would have done without you in our corner. There are far too many to name, but it is imperative that we acknowledge you. You will never know how much it has meant to have your support during the most difficult and devastating time of our lives. To Val and Ray, thank you for caring for our Bruiser while we were away during treatments. I don’t know what we would have done without you. To Aunt Anne, thank you for opening your home. You are a blessing and truly one of Leigh-Anne’s favorite people. Your “silly girl “ absolutely adored you. A special thank you to “Grandma and Grandpa”, there are no words to express our love and gratitude. From the day we received the devastating news you have been there for us; for every treatment, appointment or scan, you have been there for it all and for that we are forever grateful. John and I have to give special thanks to Tanya and to Michael. Thank you for everything, but especially for loving our girl. She was a very lucky girl to have so many people who loved her so much. Our journey has been a tough one to say the least, so thank you for being here during the good times and especially the hard times. Your love and support will never be forgotten. To Andrea, one of the strongest, most amazing women on Earth. Out of your devastation you became my lifeline, my guiding light. Through this most difficult journey, you’ve been an incredible support. Support that can only be given by someone who truly understands the loss of a child. Saying thank you could never be enough. To Nicole, your amazing spirit is a gift. You are truly remarkable. You’ve suffered your own devastating loss, yet you still found the strength to be in my corner to comfort and support me. These cancer moms are the strongest, bravest and most courageous women I have ever met. You are truly in a league of your own. To Corrie, thank you for sharing your knowledge and being a special part of our journey. From the bottom of our hearts, thanks for all you’ve done to help our girl. Your kindness will never be forgotten. Leigh-Anne was loved and adored by everyone who had the pleasure to know her. She was truly a gift from God...we are so thankful to have known, loved and cherished this amazing soul and yet so bitter to have to say goodbye. There will be no visitation. Cremation has taken place under the direction of T.J. Tracey Cremation and Burial Specialists, 370 Reserve St., Glace Bay, NS. Expression of sympathy may be sent to the family by visiting www.tjtracey.com. A private service celebrating Leigh-Anne’s life will be held at a later date. Donations in Leigh-Anne’s name can be made to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation (www.becauseyoucare.ca): Pediatrics Unit, Pediatrics TLC fund or Caleb’s Courage. Until we meet again, my angel. I love you more.