Millicent “Millie” Jones, the 11-year-old Santa Clarita girl whose bravery and bright spirit inspired a community during her battle with a rare and aggressive brain cancer, has died.

Millie passed away on July 12, surrounded by family and embraced, her loved ones said, by “Jesus and her two grandmothers, including one she’d waited her whole life to meet.”

GoFundMe

Diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) last July—a rare form of inoperable brain cancer —Millie faced one of the most devastating medical diagnoses with a strength and joy that deeply moved those around her.

Family and friends remembered her as a creative soul who found light in the darkest moments,  through art, laughter with her younger brother Zaire, and the way she made everyone around her feel special.

“Our home feels different, empty without her laughter, and Zaire misses his best friend terribly,” the Jones family wrote. “But we see Millie everywhere — in the art supplies she left behind, the songs she loved, and the countless lives she touched with her kindness.”

A public memorial service to celebrate Millie’s life is planned for Thursday, July 31, at 11 a.m. at Higher Vision Church, located at 28776 The Old Road in Valencia. A reception will follow.

A GoFundMe campaign remains active to support the family with funeral costs and help them transition into life without their daughter.

As of Monday, the fundraiser had raised $331 of its $10,000 goal.

“Though our arms ache to hold her, we’re grateful for every moment we had with our remarkable girl. Millie’s legacy of love will continue to shine through all who knew her,” wrote the Jones Family.

To donate or learn more about Millie, click here.

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