Deciding to make the most of their time together, Elena’s parents decided not to tell her that her cancer was terminal, and instead live life to the fullest with the time they had left.

Little did they know that Elena must have known that she would soon be in Heaven and took it upon herself to leave behind a gift that would bring her family comfort in their grief.

In the months leading up to her death, Elena drew and wrote of letters to her family and hid them all over the house to find after she passed.

“I think the notes were her way of telling us that everything would be OK. It feels like a hug from her every time we find one,” Elena’s mother Brooke, explained.

It wasn’t just a few letters that Elena left behind, but hundreds. They were tucked away in every place imaginable – dresser drawers, in between plates, behind pillows and many other random spots all throughout the house.

Two years after Elena’s passing, her parents compiled all of the letters into a book called ‘Notes Left Behind’.