Vaila Mae Harvey was a beautiful, intelligent, vibrant and wonderful person who loved life, and gave so much to those who were fortunate enough to have known her. She is dearly loved by her family and friends and greatly missed She was born at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick, Shetland on 21st September 1991, the youngest of three girls. She lived all her action packed life in Shetland and played an active and central role in many activities. Vaila had a great thirst for knowledge; and for getting things done and for doing them to the very best of her ability. By the time Vaila reached her mid-teens she had developed a strong passion for art, fashion and social subjects, most notably Geography, which she was expecting to study at university. Vaila was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in October 2007 and underwent a course of chemotherapy. She met her illness head on with the strength of her personality, which seemed to emerge ever more distinctly as her illness continued. Vaila was intent on just getting on with life and did so with energy and grace, she displayed vitality in the face of serious illness, optimism, tenacity, maturity. Her treatment progressed well and she was expected to be in remission in April 2008. Later in April, however, she contracted pneumonia from which she never recovered. Vaila died on 22nd May 2008. Vaila was very excited at winning a prize through the Anderson High School to visit New York as part of the Global Classroom project in November 2007, but unfortunately she was unable to take up the offer through illness. As her treatment progressed well, however, she was set to become a co-ordinator for the Global Classroom initiative in the Czech Republic in May-June 2008 but unfortunately events overtook her. Vaila’s Fund is about helping young people achieve their aspirations through international study, something Vaila would have loved to do. |
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