As someone who is continually confronted with death, I’m often prompted to think about how I will approach death when it stares me in the face … when I’m actively dying.

Will I face death with a good attitude?

Will I spiral into a pit of depression?

Will I experience an existential crisis or will I find myself content in the life I lived?

Here are people who took active dying by the horns and decided to make the most of the life they had left.

1.

At age 14, Zack Sobiech was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer which mostly strikes children.  CBS reported that during his treatment he underwent 10 surgeries and 20 rounds of chemotherapy. He started writing music after his diagnosis.

In May 2012 his doctors informed him that he had up to a year to live. Sobiech recorded the song “Clouds” about his battle with cancer, and released it as a YouTube video in December 2012. It went viral, surpassing 3 million views at the time of his death. It currently has more than 10 million views and counting. — Wikipedia

2.

From Imgur:

“Dying from cancer, Grandpa wanted a haircut. I suggested a Mohawk. He said “Do it”. One of my best memories with him. RIP.”

3.

The producer of The Simpsons has decided to give his vast fortune away before he dies from colon cancer.

Sam Simon, 58, is spending his final months funding projects that feed homeless people and save animals from being killed in animal shelters.

‘The truth is, I have more money than I’m interested in spending. Everyone in my family is taken care of. And I enjoy this,’ Simon explained. — Via The Daily Mail.

4.

This dying dad who is writing a bunch of notes (on napkins) to his daughter before he dies of terminal cancer.  You can read about his project HERE.

5.

While bravely battling her own cancer, Alex and her family continued to hold yearly lemonade stands in her front yard to benefit childhood cancer research. News spread of the remarkable sick child dedicated to helping other sick children. People from all over the world, moved by her story, held their own lemonade stands and donated the proceeds to Alex and her cause.

In August of 2004, Alex passed away at the age of 8, knowing that, with the help of others, she had raised more than $1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex’s family – including brothers Patrick, Eddie, and Joey – and supporters around the world are committed to continuing her inspiring legacy through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

6.

Nine days.

That’s how long Maurese Miller and Tomya Goffney-Miller had on this earth as husband and wife.

Nine days.

Maurese and Tomya were married Saturday, April 12. Tomya passed away Monday morning, April 21.

Her death is surely painful for her new husband, their young son and the rest of their family.

But it was not unexpected.

Nine hours, nine days, nine weeks. Doctors had said their time would be limited.

Tomya had Stage 4 colon cancer. Their April 12 wedding – the date had been set long before – was held in Tomya’s room at Christiana Hospital.  By Jeffrey Gentry, The News Journal

Read more HERE

7.

This photo is of Kevin “Wash” Pratt-King, who passed away from Glioblastoma Multiforme at age 28 on Sept 11, 2012.  Kevin’s widow remembers him as having “the best smile, and the most raucous and contagious laugh.”

Kevin wrote:

Dying of brain cancer isn’t always a grim affair. It IS damned expensive, though…

8.

Talia Joy Castellano (August 18, 1999 – July 16, 2013) was a covergirl and an American Internet celebrity known for her YouTube channel “TaliaJoy18” that featured her unique makeup tutorials. Her channel was mainly dedicated to makeup, fashion and cancer vlogs where she would discuss neuroblastoma,and lukemia the disease she battled for six years. At the time of Castellano’s death, her channel had more than 750,000 subscribers and 45 million video views. Since then, her YouTube channel has grown to more than 1,000,000 subscribers. Even after her death, her Instagram feed @taliajoy18 has over 2,000,000 followers. — Wikipedia