Amazing tributes were given in memory of Jess Shepherd at the 10-year-old's funeral.
Dozens of people gathered in Ruislip on Thursday afternoon (September 27) to pay their final respects to a brave young girl at a unique funeral.
Jess Shepherd, from Ruislip Gardens, resolved to plan her own funeral after her family was told the neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer, she had been battling for seven years was terminal.
She died on September 7 but made it her dying wish for friends and family to attend her ‘FUNeral’ dressed in pink instead of black with her favourite song, Roar by Katy Perry, playing.
Pictures show crowds heeding her wish by arriving dressed in pink, with one friend of the family turning up dressed as the Pink Panther.
The funeral took place at Breakspear Crematorium, on Breakspear Road.
The community in Harefield got together to decorate as much of the area as possible in pink in memory of Jess. Shops and businesses had signs and decorations up in their windows and banners were created at the roadside.
Suzy Flood, who took the photos, wrote on social media: “Moved beyond words today.
”When a little girl’s smile and laughter brought a village, and people from across the world, together. Pink ribbons have been put up in Harefield in honour and memory of the very beautiful Jess who tragically lost her battle with neuroblastoma, age 10. RIP beautiful.”
Jess' grandmother, Louise Walker, paid tribute to the young girl who was "always smiling".
"She had little sayings like 'don't be sad, it's a waste of a day' and 'if you worry, you can't enjoy life' and she really did live exactly how she said things. She tried not to worry, she was a very brave girl," Louise said.
"Jess inspired other people, they would say that if she could manage then so could they."
Getwestlondon has been invited to attend the funeral by Jess' family and to share updates from the day for those who cannot be there in person.
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