Recently, Liz ·Hatton, a United Kingdom girl with rare cancer, was given an unexpected and heartwarming opportunity at the moment of the countdown to her life - she not only realized her dream of photography, but also spent an unforgettable time United Kingdom in the company of Prince William and Princess Kate. This young girl, who is only in her 30s, has touched the United Kingdom royal family with her bravery and enthusiasm, and has touched countless people who have followed her story.
According to British media reports on October 3, Liz · Hatton is from Harrogate in North Yorkshire and is a young girl who loves photography. She was diagnosed earlier this year with the rare "fibrous small round cell sarcoma," a rare and highly fatal form of cancer.
Faced with the limited time in her life, Liz decided to make a "photography wish list" and hope to realize her passion for photography in the rest of her life.
By chance, a staff member of the London Air Ambulance learned of Liz's wish and conveyed her story to the United Kingdom royal family.
Unexpectedly, a few weeks later, Liz received an invitation from Prince William and Princess Kate to take behind-the-scenes photos at the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. The royal couple made special arrangements for the filming after learning of Liz's wishes.
Liz and her family were completely unaware of this, recalling: "I didn't believe anything would come out at all. I'm just a normal girl from North Yorkshire, and they're royalty. I wondered how I could possibly have a chance to get close to them. ”
From dream lists to unexpected surprises
Liz's wish list didn't originally include "photographing royalty-related events" because she thought it was too incredible. She simply listed some photography dreams such as attending Fashion Week, but never imagined that she would have the opportunity to meet the United Kingdom royal family, let alone have their photos taken in person.
It wasn't all smooth sailing. Due to Liz's treatment, a planned shoot had to be cancelled. However, the royal team showed great patience and care, and they promised to reschedule and stay in touch. A few weeks later, Liz was invited again to fulfill her dream of photography at Windsor Castle.
However, what shocked Liz and her family the most was not the filming itself, but an "accident" after the filming - Prince William and Princess Kate suddenly appeared in front of her to meet and talk to her in person.
Liz recalled: "We had no idea they would come to see us. It wasn't until they walked into the room that I realized what was going on. ”
Princess Kate's hug
During this meeting, Princess Kate took the initiative to give Liz a warm hug, a gesture that made Liz feel special and shocked. She described the moment as "incredible".
"It was a special moment because they were so kind," Liz said, "and they didn't look superior, they were very approachable and talked to us naturally without any embarrassment." ”
Princess Kate also shared her love of photography with Liz, asking about the camera model she used (a Canon camera). For a young photographer, it is a special privilege to communicate with a princess who also loves photography.
Liz's mother, Vicky Robayna, also commented on the experience, saying: "We thought the best-case scenario would be that Prince William might say hello to her while she was taking pictures, but it was amazing that they spent half an hour talking to us." ”
Lizzie has a lot of unfulfilled projects on her bucket list, and in addition to this special experience with the royal family, she dreams of working with Vogue and even more music-related photography projects.
"I love experiencing new things and meeting new people," she says. It's what motivates me every day now. ”
Liz says photography and these special experiences have not only given her a sense of personal satisfaction, but also a sense of hope for the future. She encourages young people who have had similar experiences to her: "Find things that keep you going, because sometimes you question whether you're worth going. But if you find these reasons to persevere, then you will find true strength. ”
Family support: Turning suffering into warmth
Liz's family has been immensely supportive in her battle with cancer. Whenever Liz goes through a painful chemotherapy session, her family arranges for something "beautiful" to balance out those painful treatment experiences.
Liz's mother was especially grateful for the careful arrangement of the royal team. She mentioned that the royal team not only paid attention to Liz's feelings, but also took special care of her 8-year-old brother Matteo.
"A lot of times in this situation, siblings tend to be overlooked, but they were especially careful to involve Mateo as well and even talked to him a lot," Vicky said. Although the day was specially arranged for Liz, they didn't forget about her brother, which meant a lot to us. ”
For Liz and her family, this meeting with the royal family was not only an honor, but also a memory that transcended the pain. "When Liz is gone, Mateo will have a story that he can share with future generations," Vicky said. It is a precious memory that will not be erased by time. ”
"My cancer doesn't define me, it's just a part of my life," Liz said. This experience made me feel that I am not just a patient, I am a photographer, a person with a dream. ”
After this experience, Liz gained a lot of attention, and her social media followers increased by thousands overnight. What made her even happier was that Princess Kate and Prince William shared her photography on social media, which was a huge recognition and encouragement for her.
Liz's story is not only a beautiful encounter with the royal family, but also shows her strength and optimism in the face of the end of her life. "Rather than continuing to undergo ineffective treatments, I prefer to use this time to chase my dreams and create more good memories," she said. These memories are not only meaningful to me, but also to the people I love. ”