Fans and supporters of Talia Joy Castellano, make-up guru and honorary CoverGirl, mourn the death of their beloved YouTube vlogger, and her family reminisces about her on the TODAY show Wednesday.
"She was funny, caring, inspirational, talented - very talented,'' her mother, Desiree Castellano, told the morning show.
Talia, 13, was battling neuroblastoma cancer since she was 7-years-old, a cancer where a tumor develops from nerve tissue in infants and children. The Orlando teen was best known for her makeup tutorials, refusing to wear a wig because it made her feel "fake." She had more than 750,000 followers on her YouTube channel, and regularly posted videos about her makeup tips and hospitalizations.
Her last vlog was four weeks ago, where Talia spoke about her pain and depression, stemming from anxiety she was recently experiencing, make her feel unlike her normal self.
The cancer-stricken teen's story was an inspiration for TODAY.com readers, according to the NBC morning show, made her story the most "liked" post ever on TODAY's Facebook page with 897,746 likes.
"She loved every single one of her fans, and she always wanted to give back to them,'' Talia's sister, Mattia Castellano, told the TODAY show.
Talia's death was announced on the Facebook page ran by her family, appropriately titled "Angels For Talia":
"#prayfortalia It is with a heavy heart that we share with all of you that Talia has earned her wings at 11:22am. Please lift her beautiful soul, her beautiful light to heaven and please send your love and prayers to her family during this most difficult time. God speed little one, may you be free from pain and suffering, may your soul feel the light and love that you brought to so many of us on this Earth during the short time you were her with us. We will miss you more than you will ever know baby girl."
Celebrities and fans around the world took to Twitter to remember the brown-eyed girl with a beautiful smile (see slide show). You can watch the full TODAY show interview with Talia's family, here.
