Most of us older than the age of 25 will remember this photo.
It was taken of the moment Princess Diana met little leukaemia patient Hollie Robinson Marsh in a hospital ward back in 1997.
The photo was one of the final pictures of Princess Diana taken before her death.
So iconic were the images of that July 1997 encounter, one was ultimately used as an official photo accompanying a commemorative coin marking Diana, Princess of Wales’ death the following month.
Little Hollie went on to beat cancer at a child –but this week, she finally lost her battle to the disease after it returned later in her life.
She was just 21 years of age.
Hollie was only four when she met Princess Diana at London’s Northwick Park Hospital children’s ward during Diana’s her last official engagement.
According to the Daily Mail, Hollie recovered from her illness and went on to study childcare at school and work for a youth support organisation Kids Can Achieve.
But she was again diagnosed with cancer on her 21st birthday, despite what doctors had said was “a one-in-a-million chance.”
“She always said to the doctors ‘it’s new for me because I don’t remember having it last time, but my mum’s going through it twice’,” Hollie’s mother said.
“Hollie didn’t want anyone’s sympathy. She just wanted her life back.”
Hollie became seriously ill from chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and eventually suffered multi-organ failure, the Daily Mail reports.
She passed away on September 13, according to Express, and more than 300 people attended her funeral last week.
Our thoughts are with her family and friends.
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Top Comments
I remember that photo, Diana was in her prime, she looked so happy and at peace with her life.
What a tragedy for both women to have their lives cut short so terribly. Especially for young Hollie and her family to suffer such a gruelling illness twice.
Oh this story is very sad.
I have a son the same age and my heart goes out to her family. A very young life taken too soon.