Lauren passed away peacefully on February 2, 2014 at 7:30 am. She was at Kaiser Roseville, where she had her favorite nurses and doctors caring for her. Lauren lived life to the fullest to the end.
Please remember Lauren’s words she has written and go back to them when you are going through a tough time. Remember to focus on the positive and not be a “Negative Nancy.”
Services are yet to be determined.
John and Deanne McCullough
The Not-Dying Girl 
I am so sad to hear this terrible news about Lauren today! Our most sincere sympathy to Lauren’s family and friends. She is no longer struggling with the pain and sorrows that this disease hands down to those that are stricken…she’s resting peacefully and enjoying a relaxing swim.
I started visiting Lauren’s blog in December 2013 when our daughter Kaitlyn showed me Lauren’s blog. Kaitlyn, who will turn 21 on February 5th, was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in June 2013 and has been fighting the battle with all she has. There are no words to explain the amount of pain our children go through while fighting this debilitating disease. It’s such a very long rocky battle!
May God shine his healing light down on those who loved Lauren! Prayers to All for strength and healing through your time of sorrow! All our Love!
Lauren was a very special young woman. I will always remember her inspirational words. She will live in my heart. I wish I met her in person, but I feel like I did. My 12 y.o daughter read her blog and loved it. She said she wants to be so strong and positive like Lauren! I do not know how to tell my daughter that Lauren is gone. I am sending Lauren’s family our love.
John, Deanne and Mark,
I am very sorry for your loss. Lauren was a wonderful and brave young woman. My condolences.
Ed Bolger
Lauren, You made such a difference. I followed your writings for months. I looked for you every day on the net first thing in the morning. I learned so much. What a powerful experience (tears). God Bless you. You have no idea the contributions you have made to a person who is probably older than your mom and dad. Adios. Fare Well.
My niece was a swimmer, wrestler and over these last two years, a fighter. She fought cancer hard with spirit, grace and determination, and left inspiration, a greater awareness of pediatric cancers and wisdom for others as well. I watched her grow and blossom since her birth, and Lauren’s grace, maturity and accomplished life was strongly influenced by two wonderful parents, her brother and also the greatest grandmother on the planet. Lauren was blessed to come from these people and I was blessed to be a small part of her short but truly well-lived life.
John and Deanne,
I am so sorry to hear that your sweet Lauren passed. I will forever remember her story and fight. You and your family will be in my thoughts during this most difficult time.
Stefanie Wagner
Lauren was a fighter to the end. My prayers are with her family at this difficult time.
Please accept my condolences. She was such a brave and inspirational young woman. We among the living…non-angels…can take lots of lessons from her energy, enthusiasm, bravery and love of life. We will continue to honor her through our work with St. Baldrick’s as Lauren’s Team.
Thank you for sharing your daughter with us. May God bless you beyond her death. We are so grateful for her in our lives. Peace. — Danny
She was an amazing person. She came to her old, and my current high school and gave a speech during an assembly. She’s done so much more than a lot of people even with an impairment.
Please accept my condolences on Lauren’s passing. What a beautiful and inspirational young woman. So strong, brave and loving. She will continue be my inspiration in my efforts on behalf of St. Baldrick’s and Lauren’s Team. May God continue to bless your lives past Lauren’s death. Thank you for sharing her in the time that we had. We were all blessed to have ‘met’ her. Peace.
I am so sorry to hear this sad news. Lauren taught us lessons in courage and grace through her writings. She was a remarkable young woman who will always be remembered. My deepest sympathy to you and all who loved her. God bless Lauren.
John and DeAnne, through recommendation of John’s and my friend Dave Stake I have read your daughter’s Blog and my heart goes out to you. She is a girl you can be proud of for her strength and endurance as she struggled. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.
Gordon Strom
McCullough family – I know there are no words that can be offered to you that would bring any type of comfort but I pray that God will help you through this difficult time and give you peace. What a remarkable and inspirational young lady you raised. God Bless all of you.
Lauren has left behind a legacy in this blog. Thank you Lauren for sharing your gift of being positive when the cards are stacked against you. I will keep her family in my thoughts and prayers as they now navigate through the next chapter.
So, so, so saddened to hear of Lauren’s passing. What a beautiful young women.
Thinking of her wonderful friends and family.
So sorry for your tremendous lost. What a brave, inspiring, young woman; I know her love will live on in the lives of those she was closest to. My prayers and thoughts to all of your family.
Such a brave young woman. You fought the good fight. You will be missed Lauren. You will live on in the memory of so many you’ve touched with your story.
R.i.p heaven got another beautiful angel! Thx for doing so much and for your amazing blog! Never forget!
I heard about Lauren’s passing on NPR this morning. Our family has known the Kaiser Roseville pedi-oncology Team for many years and I know that Lauren had the best care and best nurses and doctors with her. Her blog gave me a glimpse of beautiful young woman. Your family is in my prayers.
“If healing does not come in mortal life, it will come thereafter. Just as the gorgeous monarch butterfly emerges from a chrysalis, so will spirits emerge.”
—Boyd K. Packer, “The Moving of the Water”
Never met this wonderful young lady, but feel as If I did by reading her words.
Lauren’s strength is inspiring…
She will not be forgotten, even by this stranger who cares!
Jessica Pacheco
Mr. & Mrs. McCullough,
My name is Chris, a Laguna creek senior this year. I was a freshman when Lauren was still attending Laguna & I knew Lauren, not as many other closer friends, but she was my friend. It was great to see her at the previous assembly & made myself and others feel great about themselves. I’m sad to hear about Lauren’s passing and am requesting that you contact me about her service & would also like to talk on the phone about a tribute to Lauren’s Fight against cancer from my military program at our air station in Sacramento. Please contact me at (916)-472-9043 Thank you and have a blessed day!
I honestly expected to still be hearing from Lauren on her 40th birthday. I feel a closeness as my girls went to John Ehrhardt and Laguna Creek, and my name is also Lauren. What a fortunate child it will be to have Lauren as their Guardian Angel.
I just found your daughter’s blog. I’m so sorry she passed, my condolences to you all. Wish I knew of Lauren before now. My daughter Sarah who is 21 also has Ewing’s and is in the Elk Grove area. Wish they could have met. My heart goes out to your family.
Lauren really knew how to live. We all admired her so much for her courage and insight as she made her journey through life. We remember her fondly from kindergarten with Johanna and wrestling at Harriet Eddy with Adam. Rest in Peace Lauren, and thank you for your example of a life well lived.
My deepest sympathy to Lauren’s family. She was such an inspiration! The courage and the positive attitude were amazing. She was amazing. I just happened to stumble on her blog through Facebook and have been following her posts for awhile now. My 34 year old son has just been diagnosed with Lymphoma . Her blogs have gotten me through a lot of bad times. She was truly a special young woman to share her journey with us. She definitely has her angel wings. God Bless you all.
I’m a new reader to her blog. I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss. Peace be with you, and praying for your strength through this very difficult time.
I offer my most heartfelt condolences to Lauren’s family. I found and followed her blog for only the past several months but was deeply touched by her zest for life and her openness. After a good deal of thought I messaged her on Facebook just this last Thursday offering to paint her portrait, something I thought could be a positive and shining experience for her. I wanted to help any way I could. I am so sorry I hesitated so long.
So very sorry to hear about your loss. She was an extremely brave and inspirational young woman. My thoughts are with you at this sad time.
Farewell Lauren. You have been an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your experiences. While we never met, I have followed your story since Terry Armstrong of DVC shared it with me.
Cancer is oft whispered about and rarely faced or rarely is a face put to it. You, Lauren, brought that face and were willing to let us share your experiences. We cannot thank you enough.
I wish you well on your new journey.
Song: With Love Band: Elbow
Listening to this song today and thinking of Lauren and all the love that she embodied. My deepest sympathies to her family and friends.
Thank you, Lauren, for sharing your journey with us. I carry you in my heart. Love and prayers to Lauren’s family and friends.
Blake, my son passed away suddenly at the age of 14, a year and 2 months ago. I am not sure how I came across Lauren’s blog. But, was brought so much joy by reading her words and seeing her beautiful smile. I am praying for you all, her family, through this most difficult time. May God be with you all! Much love, Jen Wagner
Jen,
Just saw your message to Lauren’s family while discovering who she was through reading all these tributes to her. I so admire you for thinking of them while still grieving the loss of your own son. My heart broke when I read of Blake’s death. May each year bring you a little more happiness as you make it through the worst tragedy that can befall a woman. Blessings, Colleen
God bless you and your family Lauren, I know you’re swimming in heavens best pools and eating the best food there is! The world was lucky to have you. You opened our hearts and enlightened our souls. The world was inspired by your bravery, you beat cancer. May you rest in peace.
Sometimes we look at someone who has died, and lament that they never got a chance to live. Blessedly, Lauren lived her short life to the fullest, and built a life full of close friends and loving family. She deserved to experience so much more, because someone who lives so well, like she did, is a role model to us all, and WE are the ones who suffer from her absence.
As a fellow swimmer, I felt a kinship to some of her life experiences. She was so open and honest with her ups and downs, that I felt like I knew her from reading her blog. I cheered for her, and felt sad with her. I so much wanted to see her beat cancer, that it was (and is) devastating that she is gone.
As a parent of two young children, I can only imagine the crushing pain of Lauren’s loss to her parents. If there can be any solace for them, it is in the fact that Lauren seemed like such a special young woman, who lived her short life so well. They should be proud of the girl they raised and her beautiful, energetic smile. She made us all smile with her.
A final note. In all Lauren’s blogging, and Deanne’s loving journal on CaringBridge, this was the most impactful line I have ever read, “Lauren told mom she didn’t want to die in Sacramento. It was important to Lauren to be with those she had spent so much time with and developed such close relationships with.” It says so much about the nurses, doctors, and staff at that hospital, that Lauren, fully aware of her situation, wanted to spend her final moments in their care. Bless them.
Lauren was such a beautiful person on the inside and out. I had the privilege of meeting her at a Sacramento River Cats game and she stuck out like a sore thumb not because she was bald but because she did bald so beautifully!!! She was very sweet and even though I didn’t really get to know her I feel like I did though her writing and her Mom telling everyone in the office her stories. My deepest condolences to Deanne, Lauren’s father, Lauren’s brother and the rest of her friends and family. Whether she decided to have hair or not Lauren has to be one of the most beautiful angels in heaven.
One of Earth’s Angels now gets to rest in peace. My sincerest thoughts and prayers goes to Lauren, her family and friends. May you all find comfort through the beautiful memories you all have of her.