Izabella Phoenix Eckhardt Obituary

I, Izabella Phoenix Eckhardt, graced the world with my essence on January 16th, 2004.

My first name, Izabella, means God's promise, and my middle name, Phoenix, is a
mythical creature that I considered to be my warrior spirit animal. In the hardest
moments of my life, I would rise up from the ashes of my challenging circumstances by
focusing on faith, hope, and better things to come. Now is no different, after an epic
19ish years, on June 8, 2023, I rose up and danced into the arms of my Savior after
ferociously fighting my battle with Pineoblastoma Brain Cancer. 

During my life on Earth, I was blessed to serve many roles in the individuals' lives that I
loved: I was a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a niece, an aunt, a cousin, a friend, a
"mother" figure (on occasion to those who may not have always appreciated my
advice), an old soul, a bright light, a warrior, and a believer. 

So how do I describe myself or my life in mere words? Well, my life was way more than
the hospital I was born in, the school I graduated from, or where I spent my final day. It
was also not defined by the numerous experiences that I will miss, such as my wedding,
the births of my children, or the careers that I would have dedicated my talents to. Yes, I
wanted all of those things, but what I hope I did do with my 19 beautiful years was make
an impact. I embraced every relationship with those God placed in my life and did my
best to show his love and light to the world through me. 

I loved to dance, sing, draw, paint, act, play board games, and make people laugh. I
loved the beach, my whales, and all the marine life I had the pleasure of getting to
know. But  the most important part of who I was directly relates  to all of the amazing
people I have met along the way, for each of you changed me for the better.  When I
loved you, I loved deeply and I hope that all of those that have met me know what a gift
they have been to me.

I considered myself to be funny and often handled the tough situations life threw at me
with humor. I learned that laughter makes life a better place and even death is still better
than a rectal balloon.

I also strived to be a warrior. For me, a warrior is a person who fights for what is right.
Someone who doesn’t stop working towards their goals. Someone who is brave,
determined, and loyal. 
I was not born a warrior, my character was developed as I faced adversities. The more
trials I faced, the more honed my skills became. The times in my life where there were
no other paths to choose from and my only option was to forge forward and fight the
battle head on, I remained grateful, as each of those moments brought me closer to
God.

I was an advocate, an advocate for finding more funding, better treatments, and cures
for each pediatric cancer, but more importantly an advocate for the children that have
and have had to endure this horrendous disease. My wish was to open a safe haven for
the cancer kids' siblings to be supported, cared for, and loved, while being able to be
present with their families during their siblings' treatment. I believed that providing
counseling, schooling, support groups, and activities during and after their siblings'
journeys was missing during my treatment and still affects my family to this day. No
siblings should ever be left behind. I never got that chance but hope that this will come
to fruition one day soon.

My siblings say I was caring and nice, humorous, passionate, fiery, bright, fearless,
fierce, and kind of a pain in their butt. They also said I brought happiness, growth,
strength, and perspective to their lives, but they all brought so much more to mine. I
want nothing more than for them to be okay and live long, happy majestic lives until we
meet again. Our family is fun, even though it can be a roller coaster, but the best part is
we won't give up on each other when times get tough. So, take care of each other and
live your lives in a way we can be together again…I love you all so much!

I will be waiting in heaven for my mother and father, Miki and Craig Eckhardt; my
siblings, TJ, Thomas, Jasmine, Sarah, Azryn, Elexzia, Jaxon, and Lily; my
grandparents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and many family and friends. I
was greeted in Heaven by all those I loved that passed on before me and some of the
strongest fighters I know.