Knowing she was dying of an inoperable brain-stem tumor, Faith Cline responded, in the words of her mother, by having "never stopped living."
The 17-year-old from Cobb County put together a list of 10 wishes she wanted to achieve before her death, including graduating early from Kennesaw Mountain High School.
Faith died Tuesday morning, 16 days after that special ceremony, when more than 700 people came out on a Sunday to see her get her diploma.
She had completed all but 11/2 items on her wish list.
She had seen a Braves game. She had fallen in love. She traveled on a mission trip. She had made a difference.
"One person can make a difference in many lives. I see that now," Faith wrote on Facebook the day after she graduated. "Only God knows how long I will be here: a few weeks, all year but thank you 2 everyone who made it possible 4 me 2 have have my dream & graduate. It means so much to me to have that plaque on my wall."
Her aunt Brandy Marcinko said, “She went peacefully in her sleep with her family around her. She died at home, which is what she wanted."
The one thing she didn't do on her wish list "was to see her sister, Patience, on ‘American Idol,' " Marcinko said.
In an e-mail to the Cobb County School District, Kennesaw Mountain principal Kevin Daniel said guidance counselors were being made available to students and several students had taken advantage of the offer. He said the administrative staff also was visiting classes and checking on students.
"Thanks again for your support of the graduation ceremony earlier this month for Faith," he said. "It was a great event honoring a wonderful young lady."
Two nights before her graduation, Faith, friends and family had gone to a Braves game, sitting in a VIP suite provided by the team.
On her MySpace page, Faith wrote she was a country girl at heart. Kenny Chesney topped her playlist, and one of Faith's wishes was to meet Carrie Underwood.
She received an autographed photo and a T-shirt from Chesney and a phone call from Underwood.
"She was just beside herself, she was almost speechless," Marcinko said. "Bless her heart. She didn't actually get to meet [Underwood] in person, but she got the phone call from her. That's the half," Faith didn't do.
Faith was diagnosed with the tumor just before her 15th birthday and given 18 months to live. She lived 28 months.
A service will be held for Faith at 11 a.m. Saturday at North Metro Church in Kennesaw. Burial will be at Kennesaw Memorial Park immediately following the service. Friends will be received from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the church. Carmichael Funeral Home in Marietta is in charge of arrangements.
Faith is survived by her parents, Kristina and Paul Boswell of Acworth; brothers Quinton Cline and Justin Cline, both of Charleston, S.C., Issac Cline of Acworth and Jeremy Boswell of Acworth; her sister, Patience Cline of Acworth; grandparents, Kim and Jerry Potts of Marietta, Charlene McDonald of Hogansville, Marie Davenport of Lexington, Ky., and Steve Russell of Roswell; great-grandparents Jean and Dewey Bass of Marietta; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
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