Olivia Wise, the 16-year-old Toronto girl terminally ill with brain cancer whose cover of Katy Perry's empowering anthem "Roar" went viral last month, has died, her family announced Monday.
"She died peacefully in her home surrounded by the extraordinary love of her family,"
the Wise family said in a statement to CNN.
Wise, who was diagnosed with a rare, inoperable form of brain cancer two years ago, recorded the song in September after learning she had exhausted all her treatment options. In the clip, Wise can be seen sitting in a wheelchair and softly singing the lyrics — "I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire/Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar."
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"Olivia is a fighter and has gone through the fire," her cousin wrote in the description under the video posting on YouTube. "In fact, she was going through the fire while she recorded this song, but you wouldn't know it, because she was dancing right through it."
The cover drew more than a million views, $77,000 in donations to the Liv Wise Fund, and even a video response from Katy Perry herself.
"I love you. A lot of people love you and that's why your video got to me. It moved everybody that saw it," the pop star said. "Keep roaring!"
Just last week, local politicians praised Wise's positive spirit at a meeting of the Toronto legislature.
"Even in the face of adversity, Olivia summoned the strength to do what she loved: sing one of her favorite songs,"
Kitchener Conestoga MPP Michael Harris said, according to the Toronto Star. "When I saw the video, I was taken aback to see this young lady in weakness and illness still working to make the most of her life, and to make a difference in the lives of those around her."
As news of Wise's passing spread online Monday, Perry took to Twitter to mourn her loss.
Perry recorded a video message to Wise last month:
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