A GoFundMe has been set up for a beloved Kelowna Farmer’s and Crafter’s Market vendor after she died from cancer this month.
Laura Burnell-Higgs was the owner of Oh! The Post!, a jewellery stand that repurposes vintage postage stamps. Her business has been a part of the Kelowna Farmer’s and Crafter’s market for seven years, and she is well-beloved by the market’s visitors and vendors. She took great pride in creating each of her jewellery pieces, the GoFundMe writes, and aimed to spread her love for postage stamps to the Kelowna community. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma in August which quickly spread to her lungs, liver and bones.
Burnell-Higgs died on Sept. 12 due to complications from therapy and the cancer.
“She was always the first to reach out and introduce herself to new vendors, ensuring that they felt welcome and included in the market family. Her influence was positive and enduring,” wrote GoFundMe organizer Andrea Mackintosh. “Right now, we are looking to help ease this time of financial uncertainty for the Burnell-Higgs family.”
Burnell-Higgs was also vocal about her journey with cancer. She documented her treatments and procedures on her Instagram page, along with posts to spread awareness of skin cancer. Her page was seen as a real, authentic account of her journey with melanoma.
“It’s not always comfortable, seeing the real. Especially in these days of curated, edited, carefully and strategically posted content,” she wrote in one of her posts.
Donations for the family will be used towards monthly bills, mortgage payments, additional childcare and other unexpected expenses. Anything raised above these costs will go towards an education fund for Laura’s daughter, Adelaide Burnell-Higgs. Currently, the GoFundMe has raised more than double the original goal.
For more information about Burnell-Higgs’ story, please visit the GoFundMe page.
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paula.tran@kelownacapnews.com
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