KEY POINTS:
A remarkable 15-year-old girl who captured the heart of a King during a courageous three-year battle with cancer has died at her home in Tonga.
Lu'isa Tae Kami jnr died in her sleep on Saturday, surrounded by her parents, Taholo and Sina Kami, and other family members, Matangi Tonga newspaper reported.
The teenager endured numerous rounds of surgery in New Zealand when the cancer recurred and spread after her first operation in 2005.
The family were reported to have faced a total bill of nearly $100,000 for her treatment at Auckland.
During the recent celebrations to mark the coronation of Tonga's George Tupou V, the new King paid a special visit to the teenager's bedside. He presented Tae with a medal of valour, a laptop for her photos and a cellphone. She played her guitar and sang the King a song she had written as a coronation gift.
Wiping away tears, the King said it was the best gift he had received.
In her own words posted on her website before her death, Tae said: "Cancer's been a blessing in disguise despite the pain of it all. I've learned some really important things, met so many wonderful people and have become a much better person because of it. I don't regret a thing and I feel so blessed despite my suffering."
Tae will be buried in Tonga tomorrow.
- NZPA
