In Memory of Cora, Our Angel

We have been without words. Last Wednesday, we suddenly lost our eight-year-old daughter and beautiful, loving sister, so full of life and love, when she collapsed minutes after being released from a routine exam (MRI with contrast) to understand her underlying “mild” heart condition. Although her recent symptoms didn’t yet have a clear answer, her tragic death was completely unexpected to all of us and to her doctors. We are beyond devastated—everyone who knew her infectious smile and contagious love, loved her dearly. 

She was her family’s biggest cheerleader and absolutely loved spending time together. She would leave encouraging words, notes and messages for everyone. Mom’s phone still has two daily alarms she placed on it: “You are amazing!!!!!” and “I love mom!!!!!” (With lots of heart emojis). Her little sister’s room they shared is adorned with Cora’s loving post-it notes over her bed: “You can do it!” “I believe in you!” “Never give up!” and “Believe in yourself!”

Please help us to support Cora and her family in this unspeakable tragedy by contributing to a memorial fund in her name at the family arts nonprofit that she inspired us to start and that she supported so enthusiastically, as we seek to carry out the work that she so enjoyed and encouraged, connecting children through music and promoting programs and projects that keep her legacy of love alive and with us, including Arts Across Borders and Arts for Orphans.

Cora absolutely loved to sing. She knew the lyrics to every Taylor Swift song. Cora traveled with us to Mexico as we sang with the children there, played with the children at the orphanage, and still talked about how much she loved that experience, how much she loved singing with her dad, the founder and conductor, and how she wanted him to start a choir again after we moved and as the pandemic let up.

She was so excited to sing in her holiday concert at school coming up in two weeks with her little sister, the two best buddies one can imagine. We are heartbroken that she won't be there and especially that her sister won't have her best friend. Just two weeks ago she was teaching Ella "school" at home over Fall break where they wrote and read the most creative stories; shopping trips with them meant the two literally hugging each other the entire time as they played mommy and baby, and dad reminding them to watch out to not block the aisles, while smiling inside in admiration of how much they love each other.

After a pandemic pause in global music projects, Cora and her health was dad’s focus, as he cared for her and her 6-year-old best friend and sister, as mom started a new, busy job placement that required a relocation to London. Every day was an unbelievable adventure. It was the greatest joy of Aaron's life to be a more present dad to them, and he often said he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world—that it was the best thing he'd ever done. Nothing could get him to take time away from that and do anything else. Until now. Dad feels absolutely broken and empty at not having his “little buddy” and best friend around and feels a visceral need to focus his life’s purpose on keeping her present and meaningful through her memorial fund and cause.

Cora was a blessing of love to her family. Her four (quite a bit) older siblings doted on her with such love, sweetness and enthusiasm from the day she was born. She softened each of them and taught them each how to love more fully. She was an incredible blessing of love that changed every one of us. Recently in college, the two oldest siblings each had a very special relationship with her and loved her deeply. From the regular video calls to the constant, encouraging text messages telling them how great they were and how excited she was to see them again, always with at least three exclamation points and a lot of heart emojis. She showed them each so much love and enthusiasm for being together as a family that when they learned of her hospital emergency overseas, they each flew to London from their universities in the US that very night at their own expense, only to arrive and grieve deeply together as a family at this horrible and shocking loss.

The entire family is musical and all of the children participated together in the nonprofit arts projects as a music and service experience. It is expected that the family will be involved in future projects for her legacy, which will help to heal and to bring joy and meaning to others through music in her memory.

We hope to build a significant fund for Cora

that will continue to make a difference for others in her name. May her spirit live on every day in those who knew her and learned from her unconditional love. And may we eventually be healed by remembering and honoring her in every way that we can.

Cora was the most loving and sweetest human being one can imagine, and it pains us deeply that someone who valued life so fully would be taken so soon. Help us keep her memory and love for life and music alive. Thank you for supporting Cora and her legacy and memorial fund. Learn more at www.corascause.org.

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*One World Arts Across Borders, also known as One World Children’s Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) public charity registered in the United States. It is not a private foundation and holds no funds other than those that are raised through donations such as these. Learn more of our work bringing music, arts and cultural awareness to children at www.oneworldchildrensfoundation.org