Tears at How Family Ensures Daughter's Handwritten Notes Are Always Near

A family's heartbreaking way of honoring their daughter and sister who died of ovarian cancer last year has left social media in tears. For her whole life, Sophie Brown, 26, looked up to her older sister, Rebecca Brown (who went by Becca), who was always her biggest inspiration. All she wanted to do was help people, so Becca spent years pursuing a medical career and training to be a doctor. Sophie, from the U.K, told Newsweek that she believes her sister was "put on this Earth to do good," as she watched Becca save so many lives, and support people during such difficult times. Becca was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in February 2024, and on September 13, at the age of just 30, her life was cut short. She died seven months after her diagnosis, and only three weeks after finding out her cancer was terminal.

"It was the worst thing we as a family will ever go through," Sophie said. "Becca wasn't just beautiful, but she was so intelligent, she was a bright light in all our lives. I don't think it's ever something we will get over. Her cancer was so rare and aggressive, and we will never understand why this happened." Becca underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy and at times she seemed to show signs of improvement. Following her final round, Sophie remembers the moment when her brave sister asked when she could return to work. "Not once did she complain, and even to her final days she was still Becca, with her beautiful big smile," Sophie said. "That is how remarkable Becca was, she wanted to get back to helping others and saving lives." However, six months after starting chemotherapy, the cancer spread to Becca's lungs and bowel. By August, the family was given the crushing news that her ovarian cancer was terminal and she had just weeks left. Nonetheless, they tried to be hopeful, as Sophie said they "did truly think she would beat it." During that time, she continued to put on a brave face, and the family did everything they could to show Becca how loved she was. Sophie, her parents and her brother, Matt, wrote letters to Becca and read them out loud. The week before her death, Matt asked his sister to draw a cartoon moose just for him, as he wanted to get it tattooed on his arm. The idea came from the 2001 rom com The Princess Diaries, starring Anne Hathaway, which was one of Becca's favorite films. During the movie, Hathaway's character jokes that her unruly hair makes her look "like a moose," leaving her hairdresser telling her that she's "a very cute moose." So, Matt decided he would get Becca's moose drawing inked on his body forever.

In the weeks after Becca's death, the rest of the family also started to think about what sentimental tattoo they could get. Sophie and her parents decided to get messages and phrases that Becca used, written in her handwriting. The trio went to get their heartfelt tattoos together on January 28, in Becca's honor. Sophie shared footage of that special day on TikTok (@sophiecbrown), and it left the internet in tears. The clip went viral with 1.2 million views and 78,500 likes at the time of writing. "Myself, my dad and my mum got Becca's handwriting on our left arms to be close to our hearts. They were messages or phrases she would always say to us, taken from cards she had written to each of us," Sophie told Newsweek. "We know heartbreakingly nothing is going to bring Becca back, but if we can continue her legacy in some way and raise awareness for ovarian cancer, we will. Becca was one of a kind, and she deserves to have her story told." The tattoos mean the family has a piece of Becca with them wherever they go, but they're also trying to be more like her, too. They are raising money for The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, which provides emotional and financial support for medical professionals.

The TikTok video of the family getting their "first ever tattoos" in honor of Becca has amassed 230 comments, as internet users praised the heartfelt gesture. One comment reads: "So beautiful Becca is looking down smiling at the wonderful family she is so loved by." Another TikTok user wrote: "I love that you have the same tattoo but just different versions, it's so heartwarming." While another person commented: "This is totally beautiful Sophie, I'm pretty speechless."