A young Australian who captured the hearts of thousands of Australians after bravely battling cancer for more than a decade has died at the age of 19.
Levi Tracy died at 9.15am on Tuesday at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth after a two-year battle with acute myeloid leukaemia.
The disease is caused by an abnormal growth of white blood cells that create tumors in the body. The condition prevents the immune system from fighting bacteria and infections.
His father Mark, who started the Facebook page Lifeline for Levi to support his son during his grueling health journey, announced Tuesday that his son had died.
“This day was not meant to come,” he wrote.
“We are broken like no other. We have no idea how to move on and carry on, but we will find a way. Levi would want that.”
‘He fought really hard and never gave up, the mountain was just too big.’
Mr Tracy explained that doctors had struggled to stabilise him in the early hours of Monday morning before the family visited him later that day.
Levi Tracy (pictured) died on Tuesday morning at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth from acute myeloid leukaemia.
Doctors told their loved ones that Levi did not have long to live.
“His lungs were failing and his blood pressure dropped to unbearable levels,” Mr. Tracy wrote.
“The infection in his lungs was the cause and triggered everything.”
Hundreds of users on social media posted comments on the heartbreaking post to express their grief.
“I’m crying like a baby for this beautiful warrior, Levi, and his beautiful family,” one person wrote.
“Levi was such a fighter, a true inspiration to many of us. In my eyes he is a true hero and legend,” wrote another.
Levi (pictured), who lived in Perth, was first diagnosed with cancer when he was just seven, before the disease was rediscovered a decade later
“My deepest condolences to the family. My heart is broken for you all,” added a third.
Levi, who lived in Perth, was first diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma when he was just seven years old.
After undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy for two and a half years, he was finally in remission before he turned 10.
But Levi, who had found a job as a FIFO worker before his hospital stay, was dealt a devastating blow when he was diagnosed with cancer for the second time at the age of 17.
His family tried to find a matching blood stem cell so Levi could undergo a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
This procedure allows a person who does not produce enough healthy blood cells to receive the protein from a healthy person who can supply the essential fluid.
Friends and loved ones provided constant updates on Levi’s condition via social media.
A good friend of the family had a GoFundMe page recently to cover some of the ongoing medical costs.
“Levi is one of the most handsome and humble men you will ever meet. He is passionate about his dog, his car and the fresh air,” the fundraiser organizer wrote.
The family of the 19-year-old (pictured left) tried to find a matching blood stem cell so he could undergo a life-saving bone marrow transplant
Nearly $18,000 was raised by generous donors.
Mr Tracy said the Facebook page would be transformed into a tribute page to honour Levi’s life.
“With broken hearts we fight on,” he wrote.
‘Do not waste time.’