A mother has announced her own death in a heartbreaking social media post written during her final days to assure her friends she knew how ‘deeply’ she was loved.
Mother-of-one, Casey McIntyre, 38, from New York, passed away from stage four ovarian cancer on 12 November.
Casey’s death was announced on Instagram via a post that she had penned before she passed away, which was then shared by her husband Andrew, alongside a carousel of images of his wife throughout her life – as a child, at their wedding, and with their daughter.
‘A note to my friends: if you’re reading this it means I have passed away. I’m so sorry, it’s horses*** and we both know it,’ the statement began. ‘The cause was a recurrence of my previously diagnosed stage four ovarian cancer.’
‘I loved each and every one of you with my whole heart and I promise you, I knew how deeply I was loved.’
Prior to her passing, Casey, who worked in publishing, spent five months in home hospice in Virginia, Rhode Island, and New York, surrounded by her family and friends – a time she described as ‘magical’.
Tragically, Casey did not have the opportunity to complete her post before she died, with her husband Andrew adding an ‘editor’s note’ in which he paid tribute to his wife and shared his ‘heartbreak’ that she did not get the opportunity to finish her final goodbye.
‘Casey meant to finish this post with a list of things that were a comfort & a joy to her during her life, and I am heartbroken that I will never see that list,’ he wrote.
‘As she grew sicker, she couldn’t finish it.
‘I imagine it would’ve included our daughter Grace, whales, ice cream, her beloved friends, being at the beach, her niece and nephews she incorrigibly doted on, reading 10 books on a weeklong vacation, her beloved parents and sister and their amazing extended family, swimming, a perfect roast beef sandwich, and me, her sweet, sweet honey.’
He added: ‘Oh Casey! I don’t know how we will do it without you but we will.’
Andrew then asked for Casey’s loved ones to share ‘a note that was a comfort or joy that you shared’ with her, before sharing details about her memorial service, before revealing that his wife had come up with a plan to ‘celebrate’ her life by setting up a fundraiser for money to pay off others’ medical debt.
‘We will celebrate her life by anonymously purchasing medical debt and then anonymously forgiving it, hopefully with a bonfire if they will let us,’ he wrote.
‘If attending [her memorial service], please wear something that expresses your deep sorrow at our loss, as well as something that expresses the joy you feel for having ever known Casey.’
Taking to X, previously called Twitter, Casey shared further details about the initiative, writing: ‘To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debt and then destroy the debt.
‘I am so lucky to have had access to the best medical care at @MSKCancerCenter and am keenly aware that so many in our country don’t have access to good care.’
Titled: ‘Casey McIntyre’s Memorial and Debt Jubilee’, each donation on has been made anonymously, per Casey’s request.
With a target of $20,000, Casey’s goals for the fundraiser have been exceeded in less than a week, with the current total standing at $20,908.50, sparking a new goal of $30,000.
Casey’s sweet sentiment was welcomed support on social media, with the tribute touching many.
WHY OVARIAN CANCER IS CALLED A ‘SILENT KILLER’
About 80 percent of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in the advanced stages of the disease.
At the time of diagnosis, 60 percent of ovarian cancers will have already spread to other parts of the body, bringing the five-year survival rate down to 30 percent from 90 percent in the earliest stage.
It’s diagnosed so late because of its location in the pelvis, according to Dr Ronny Drapkin, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who’s been studying the disease for more than two decades.
‘The pelvis is like a bowl, so a tumor there can grow quite large before it actually becomes noticeable,’ Dr Drapkin told MailOnline.
The first symptoms to arise with ovarian cancer are gastrointestinal because tumors can start to press upward.
When a patient complains of gastrointestinal discomfort, doctors are more likely to focus on diet change and other causes than suggest an ovarian cancer screening.
Dr Drapkin said it’s usually not until after a patient endures persistent gastrointestinal symptoms that they will receive a screening that reveals the cancer.
‘Ovarian cancer is often said to be a silent killer because it doesn’t have early symptoms, when in fact it does have symptoms, they’re just very general and could be caused by other things,’ he said.
‘One of the things I tell women is that nobody knows your body as well as you do. If you feel something isn’t right, something’s probably not right.’
One said: ‘What a beautiful and strong last gift to grant to someone. Rest in peace Casey.’
Another wrote: ‘I can’t breathe around the lump in my throat. What a legacy. This will be a change in my will when I update it.’
A third said: ‘I did not know you, Casey but your very generous gift to buy up others’ medical debt as a memorial moved me.
‘You won’t get to see the impact of your legacy, but your family will, & so will the families of all the people you help. I didn’t know you, but wish I did! Fly high.’
A fourth added: ‘This is perfect and an amazing idea and a tribute to a beautiful fierce warrior.’
Another said: ‘This is so beautiful. Sending so much love to the family. What an amazing woman she clearly was.’
Before her passing, the mother-of-one had maintained a positive attitude while battling with the disease, and regularly shared pictures of her everyday outfits to a fashion account on Instagram, under the username ‘cancer but make it fashion’.
The last post shared on her personal account before her posthumous statement saw her sharing a series of images from her family’s time spent in Rhode Island, including sweet snaps of her daughter Grace on the beach.
