Franca’s dimples and smile lit up every room she ever entered. Everyone loved Franca and she made everyone feel like he or she was her best friend or her favorite child. She was also one of the strongest people I’ve ever known. At the age of 23, she got married and moved to a new country where she had to start over. She had trials and tribulations throughout her life, but she never ever gave up. When she discovered that she had brain cancer, she fought with all her might to stay alive and spend more time with her family who wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her. She also wanted to help others who might get this awful cancer and traveled to Duke University to participate in a clinical trial, hoping to find a cure. She fought to the end. I know that she’s still cheering on all the fighters who are trying to find a cure for cancer and is ecstatic about all the life-prolonging treatments that the Ivy Brain Tumor Center has discovered. We will also never give up!