Stories of progress, inspiration, and information in overcoming osteosarcoma.

Gillian Vaughan (right) and her mom Connie hugging and smiling in front of the origami crane tree that friends and family created for her.

The Most Beautiful Legacy: Gillian’s Osteosarcoma Story

Gillian left a large portion of her estate to osteosarcoma research, but she left her mother, Connie, something even more precious — her artwork.

During her eight-and-a-half-year battle with osteosarcoma, Gillian went from starting high school to graduating college with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences. Because of her harrowing experience and her love for children, Gillian wanted to work with children who also were dealing with health issues. Unfortunately, she passed away before her career had a chance to start.

“We ended up having to take Gillian home a month before graduation,” says Gillian’s mother, Connie. Fortunately, she had completed all the requirements for graduation by that point. “We watched the ceremony on livestream at noon and we were all there celebrating at home. At 4 p.m., Gillian stood up and her femur broke.”

From that moment, Gillian was rushed to the hospital, and the treatments never ended. One year later, Gillian was gone.

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“She was so quiet and I’m very verbal, and I spent years trying to help her find her voice. Then I finally realized her voice is expressed through her art.” — Connie Jett, Gillian’s mom

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