Natalie Weaver/TwitterA mother and disability rights campaigner has described her ‘heart shattering’ pain following the death of her daughter Sophia Weaver.
The 10-year-old, who was targeted by vile internet trolls due to her severe facial disfigurement, died on Thursday after complications from brain condition, Rett syndrome.
Natalie Weaver, from North Carolina, broke the news of daughter’s death on Twitter, vowing to ‘continue to help others in her memory.’
Our #SweetSophia left this earth last night as she spent every day of her life, surrounded by love & adoration.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you donate to https://t.co/EmzKKAEEc3
Once we pull ourselves from this shattering pain we will continue to help others in her memory pic.twitter.com/fvZBo9xqRW
— Natalie Weaver (@Nataliew1020) May 24, 2019
She wrote:
Our #SweetSophia left this earth last night as she spent every day of her life, surrounded by love & adoration.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you donate to sophias-voice.com
Once we pull ourselves from this shattering pain we will continue to help others in her memory
In her short life, Sophia had undergone 30 surgeries, had a feeding tube and colostomy bag, and required 24-hour care. Rett’s syndrome also affected her motor function and brain development.
Overcome w/ emotion to stand in front of this @BarackObama painting w/ #SweetSophia. I explained that he is the President who fought for her to have healthcare despite being born w/ #PreExistingConditions & why she’s alive today which is why I fought for 2 yrs to protect this. pic.twitter.com/C9BJhdhBv9
— Natalie Weaver (@Nataliew1020) April 30, 2019
Determined to allow her daughter to spend her remaining time alive ‘living life to the full’, Natalie came to the difficult decision to place Sophia in hospice care in February.
Earlier this week, Natalie revealed Sophia had become ‘sick really quickly’.
In an emotional tweet, she shared:
#SweetSophia got really sick really quickly and I’m really scared.
I know my girl is a fighter and can pull through this. Please keep her in your thoughts and for those with a t-shirt please wear it to keep her heartbeat close to yours.
Throughout Sophia’s health battles, Natalie Weaver ran a passionate fight against internet trolls who taunted her daughter’s appearance via hurtful social media comments.
Speaking to Heart Threads, she explained how she was ‘horrified to read an online comment claiming her daughter’s appearance posted a strong argument for abortion’. Sickeningly, people online had turned photos of Sophia into cruel memes.
Despite her family’s difficulties, Natalie went on to become a successful advocate for disabled children through her foundation Sophia’s Voice.
Natalie said: ‘When you see true beauty and you realise there’s value in every single human being, no matter what their ability is, it can change the world. I really do believe unconditional love can change the world.’
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L’Oréal Blackett is a freelance journalist, broadcaster, and presenter with a lot of hair and a lot to say. A former digital magazine editor covering women’s issues and local news, she now works for a range of media publications including BBC Radio Manchester, Bumble and of course, UNILAD.