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News 11 talks with Alexa Brown's family

"She was just a happy little girl who loved life," said Wendy Brown, Alexa's mom.

By Jonathan Walsh - bio | email

Posted by Dave Dykema - email

CLYDE, OH (WTOL) - A courageous girl from Clyde battled as much as she could, but cancer unfortunately took over.

Alexa Brown, 11, died Thursday morning at 4 a.m.

The Clyde Childhood Cancer Cluster is something News 11 has been following for the past 3 years, including Alexa Brown's Journey.

Alexa's parents Warren and Wendy Brown sat down with News 11 just hours after their daughter's death.

"She was just a happy little girl who loved life," said Wendy Brown.

But it was cancer that took that life right out of her.

Alexa was surrounded by family at home when the final breath came.

People from the funeral home then arrived to take Alexa.

"We wrapped her up in her little Tinker Bell blanket and he carried her out," said Wendy.

Warren was called on to do what many feel is the impossible.

"This morning as I was reaching under her head and reaching under her legs," Warren Brown said. "I hate to be cliché but it hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't catch my breath. No parent should ever have to carry a deceased child to the back of a waiting funeral car."

Warren thought after Alexa left the house and things calmed down a bit he would be okay. However, "It didn't hit me again until I walked back into the bedroom and I could smell her because they had been using a certain type of lotion. I could just smell her in her room."

There will be no more sister secrets.

No more balloons to cheer her up.

No more rubbing mom's hand.

But what will stay is Alexa's spirit and how she cared about her family even in her toughest of times.

"She'd say in the middle of the night when she couldn't sleep, 'Mom, you just go to sleep. I don't want to keep you up,'" said Wendy.

"She had a spell when it didn't hurt quite as badly," Warren said. "She turned to her mom and pulled her mom down and said, 'I'm sorry you have to go through this with me. I wish I could be a normal kid. I wish I could live a normal life.'"

Thinking of others first over her own pain. That was the heart of Alexa Brown.

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