Sativa farewelled

Three hundred purple balloons travelled heavenward over Greerton this morning as two-year-old Sativa Eagle was farewelled.

The little girl, who won the hearts of thousands of people around the world, passed away on Wednesday after a 21-month-battle with cancer.

Over three hundred people, many of whom were dressed in purple, Sativa's favourite colour, gathered at Greerton

Bible Church at 11am today for her funeral.

As her little purple coffin sat amongst soft toys and purple flowers, tributes from family and friends in the form of poems, songs and heartfelt speeches were delivered with tears and, at times, laughter.

Sativa, twin sister to Indee, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on January 5, 2011, when she was just 4 months old.

In May this year Sativa, having already cheated death several times, received a bone marrow transplant, with the hope it would cure her.

But at the end of August, just days before the twins' second birthday she relapsed.

More bone marrow was injected into her body in a desperate bid to push out her cancerous cells, but on September 11 parents Sheree Roose and Tim Eagle were given the devastating news that their daughter was dying.

Sativa's brave journey was charted on the Please Help Baby Sativa & Her Family Fight Leukemia Facebook page, which has amassed more than 6000 "likes".

Ms Roose and Mr Eagle were today commended for their strength and courage.

``If they continue life with this passion, they will do really, really well for themselves,'' Ms Roose's uncle Phillip Melvin said.