18-year-old San Diego surfer dies after ‘terrible and miraculous’ brain cancer fight
A Southern California 18-year-old is being mourned by her family, friends and even singer Billie Eilish after she died of a rare brain cancer on Christmas Day.
Family said that Kira Stanley — a surf instructor in Encinitas and a student at La Costa Canyon High School in San Diego County — has been battling cancer since November 2017, when she was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), NBC San Diego reports.
Jim Beaver, her uncle, wrote in a Facebook post on Christmas that she “was one of the bravest and most poised people I have ever met, and her spirit was ferocious and loving and filled with grace.” Beaver is an actor with roles on shows “Supernatural,” “Deadwood” and more.
“To all of my friends who took part in Kira’s terrible and miraculous fight by contributing to the funding of her immense medical expenses or by sending prayers, gifts, and letters, or by simply holding her in your hearts, I will be indebted forever,” Beaver wrote. “Kira lived far longer than most DIPG patients, and that happened in part because of the outpouring of support she had, often from people she’d never met.”
Eilish shared a photo of her with Stanley on Instagram after the death, People magazine reported, calling Stanley a “superfan” of the singer.
“F—. I don’t understand why is this all happening. I hate this. I don’t know how I’m only finding out now you’re not here anymore,” Eilish wrote, according to People. “I love you so much Kira. Please fly high. Rest in peace.”
She was treated for the cancer at UC San Diego Health and a hospital in Mexico, and another of her heroes — pro surfer Kelly Slater — donated to a silent auction to help cover her medical bills, NBC reported.
A GoFundMe aiming to raise money to cover Stanley’s chemotherapy and other medical treatments brought in more than $400,000, according to the fundraising platform.
“Even though Kira is no longer with us we have been receiving requests to send donations. We still expect medical bills to continue to roll in, etc.,” Robert Stanley, her father, wrote in an update on the GoFundMe page. “We will leave go fund me up and running until an appropriate time after her memorial.”
Stanley wrote that “any funds above and beyond what is needed to cover final medical costs and her memorial will be donated. There are many organizations we are considering and want to do what we believe Kira would want in terms of donations.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the “family is planning a paddle-out celebration at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas for Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend,” with Stanley adding that his daughter wanted a “big a-- party” instead of a funeral.
This story was originally published December 30, 2019 at 3:26 PM with the headline "18-year-old San Diego surfer dies after ‘terrible and miraculous’ brain cancer fight."
