"Get off your phones and live life."
That was the heartfelt message Kristie Purton wanted to share with the world before she died at Waipuna Hospice on Thursday.
Purton, 35, is best known as one of half of the Tauranga Cystic Sisters.
She and her younger sister Nikki Reynolds-Wilson, 28, were both born with cystic fibrosis and had both in recent years undergone lung transplants.
But last month, Purton's body began rejecting her new lungs and she was told she only had weeks to live.
Purton died peacefully at 2pm on Thursdaywith her sister and her parents, Shirley and Peter Reynolds, by her side.
Reynolds-Wilson said her sister's death had left a huge hole in their hearts and their lives would never be the same.
"We are all devastated. While everyone knew this was going to happen, it still does not prepare you to have to say your final goodbyes.
"Kristie was a huge part of our family. We do heaps of stuff as a family, but anything we did wasn't complete until Kristie arrived. She made everything fun and she was the life of any situation.
"She was more than my sister, Kristie was my best friend and we did everything together. I'll never laugh with anyone else like I did with Kristie.
"We had a very special bond. I feel like I have just lost half of myself."
Despite the challenges life threw at Purton, she met adversity head-on. She was not
expected to live past the age of 18, but she defied the odds.
"Kristie did more in life than most people have done in 35 years and lived life to the fullest. She was so inspirational and touched so many people's lives," Reynolds-Wilson said.
"Everyone Kristie met just fell in love with her, no matter who you were. She was a real people person and most loving and selfless person.
"There was something about Kristie, she could light up any room and make anyone do anything. If you didn't want to do it, she would find a way to make you."
The sisters spent years raising awareness of their disorder and advocating for others to become organ donors. Twice they completed 65 days of good deeds in the community.
"It was the sort of person Kristie was. She was always thinking about other people," Reynolds-Wilson said.
Despite the cards Purton was dealt in life, she was always the "most loving and selfless person" and "lived for her family and other people".
"Kristie was the most stubborn and determined person I have ever known. If you told her she couldn't do something Kristie would make sure she did it," Reynolds-Wilson said.
From climbing Mauao daily with her kids to winning eight medals, half of them gold, at the Australian Transplant Games, Purton was determined not to let her fate hold her back.
"Because Kristie and I have always known we would die early, we used to joke about it, and both had a sarcastic outlook on it. It was our coping mechanism to make fun of it.
"This included her bluntly telling her children's teachers - 'I've got some bad news. I've got three weeks'," Reynolds-Wilson said.
"That was Kristie, she was always straight to the point, but she never wanted to bring anyone else down or make them feel bad."
Last month, Purton's good deeds were repaid. She was surprised by a day of sailing, flying, and top-quality food, all donated by the community.
In her dying message to the Tauranga community, Purton said she wanted to thank everyone for their generosity, help and support, and asked more people to become organ donors.
Finally, she shared her most important message: "Get off your phones and live life".
Purton is also survived by her 36-year-old brother Mark, her husband Craig and their three children, Zack, 16, Curtis, 10, and 8-year-old Haylee.
Her funeral will be held at Legacy Funerals on Tuesday at 2pm and is open to the public.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Bay of Plenty Association.
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