Kendra Bird, the mother of late influencer Brie Bird, is remembering their final moments together before her daughter’s death.
“One week ago from this very moment, we were having regular conversations,” Kendra wrote via Instagram on Thursday, December 18. “We talked about what finishing touches you were going to make on your Christmas list, why Annie was an orphan (since we watched [the movie] the night before), and sleeping in your room on Christmas Eve.”
She added, “An hour later, you had fallen asleep, and we never heard your voice again.”
Brie died on December 11 after battling stage IV cancer at the age of 9.
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“I laid by your side, as dad sat next to your bed,” Kendra recalled, referring to her husband, Mitch Bird. “We both held you, as your body transitioned, whispering all the things we’ve told you for nine years. ‘You’re amazing! You are so loved. You have changed the world. It’s such a privilege to be your mom.’ Brielle, our home will never feel the same.”
Kendra continued, “We will continue to dance in your honor, we will always serve those around us, and we will tell the world about the goodness of God. Though I don’t agree with or understand His plan right now, we do know that you are no longer in a broken body, and finally able to run; run straight to Jesus.”
Brie had been diagnosed with a neuroblastoma, a form of cancer that begins in the nervous system, in 2020. She was placed in hospice earlier this year.
“Mitch and I have been married for 11 years. Half our marriage has been navigating childhood cancer. Brielle is our oldest, she’s been fighting stage IV cancer for 5 years, and recently was put on hospice as we don’t have any more options,” Kendra previously wrote via Instagram in July about her family of six. “Rixton, her best friend, loves her so much. He told her the other day, ‘Brielle, I met someone famous today?!’ ‘Who?’ ‘It’s YOU!’ He thinks the world of her, no matter how much more attention she gets.”
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She went on to detail Brie’s relationships with youngest siblings Kenzley and Knox.
“Kenzley, we call her lady, she adores and admires Brielle. She wants to do everything Brielle does. They often dress up and do makeup together,” Kendra wrote. “Knox is the baby. Brielle is his second mom. Knox can make Brielle smile, even when she doesn’t want to.”
Kendra further explained how she and Mitch “get to live life differently than most” other people.
“For five years we have prioritized a strong relationship with God, time together as a family, and noticing miracles in the darkest circumstances. Not everyone has the constant reminder that life is precious,” she concluded at the time. “If you’re searching for a miracle, you’re in good company. You’re welcome to sit here in the heartbreak with us. If life feels overwhelming, I understand, I’m not here to fix it, because oftentimes, words don’t heal, but you’re welcome to take a seat at our table. If finding joy in darkness seems impossible, I get it, let’s help create glimmers of hope for each other.”
