Devastating final moment before Ava Grace Lynch died of a brain tumour

When year 7 student Ava lost her ability to speak, she still found a way to tell her parents and siblings she loved them. That made their final moments together unforgettable.

Ava’s family say their “little girl” still receives messages from her school friends on her phone as they try to cope with their grief over her death.

When Ava Grace Lynch would squeeze her parents’ hands twice, it meant she loved them.

It was a language the family created when Ava lost her ability to speak while battling an unrelenting and aggressive brain tumour.

The 12-year-old was determined to tell her family she loved them until the moment she took her final breath on March 20 this year.

“She was our little girl,” her dad Darren told The Advertiser.

Ava Grace Lynch was 12 years old when she died of a brain tumour in March 2024. Picture: Supplied by family

Ava with her dogs Lucy and Betty. Picture: Supplied by family

The day Ava died she asked her parents where her siblings were by spelling out the question on an alphabet board – another way the tight knit family would communicate with their ‘little Ava’.

After 10 minutes, the last thing Ava tapped out was: “How long?”

When her older siblings, Charlie, Harry and Helena arrived at their family home in Stirling, Ava held their hands, squeezed them twice and passed away.

“You could tell she was so relieved that they were there and she knew that they were there,” Ava’s mum Christina said.

Friends have continued to text the forever 12-year-old after she passed away. Picture: Supplied by family

To this day the forever 12-year-old still receives messages from friends.

“We’re still getting messages saying ‘Ava I’ll keep sending you messages’ and ‘We miss you so much’,” Christina said.

“She had such beautiful friends that really cared so much for her.”

At her funeral her school friends from Loreto College held helium balloons in Ava’s favourite colours pink and green and released them into the sky.

The girls lined William St, Norwood, where the church ceremony took place, and threw rose petals which blew all the way up to Stirling, where Ava lived with her family.

“It’s unbelievable that they feel so much for Ava like we do too,” Christina said.

Ava’s funeral card. Picture: Supplied by family

Ava discovered she had a brain tumour in October last year. She had recently recovered from Covid-19 and was feeling extremely tired.

“I wasn’t 100 per cent sure if it was long Covid or if she had glandular fever or something,” Christina said.

When Ava returned to school her teacher noticed her handwriting was odd.

Multiple tests and scans revealed that Ava had been living with a brain tumour.

“That was probably the most devastating moment of our lives,” Darren said.

Ava underwent radiotherapy and showed a positive response. She was able to return for the last week of school and attended her year six graduation.

Ava had a vision board stuck on her bedroom wall which inspired her to stay positive. Picture: Supplied by family

Christina called her daughter’s disease “cruel”.

“It took a lot of things away from Ava that were important to her,” she said.

Before Ava died the Lynch family created memories together – visiting Hamilton Island, having a big Christmas with the extended family and visiting family, including Nanna Lynch in Streaky Bay.

With her determined spirit Ava returned to school for 2024 and joined her cohort on year seven camp.

Christina said her daughter, who is the youngest in her family of six and in her extended family with well over 20 cousins, had a very compassionate heart.

“She was the social justice leader in year six at Loreto and she did a lot of fundraising … she was always thinking of others that were not as fortunate as her,” she said.

“The thing I miss the most is her companionship and her beautiful company and presence.”

Ava’s dad remembers how his daughter always included others especially at school.

“When I picked her up from school one day I asked her about her day … and she said there was a new year seven girl and she was eating lunch on her own so I asked her if she wanted to join our friend group to have lunch,” her dad said.

“That’s what she was like, she was just kind.”

Darren and Christina thought their youngest daughter would become a CEO one day because he was so organised and efficient.

“She was quite conscientious, diligent, hard worker, cared a lot, very kind,” Darren said.

“She could be quite cheeky and quite fun as well.”

Ava’s schedule was jam packed. She played netball for not only her school team but Heathfield Netball Club as well. She practised piano, played with her dogs Lucy and Betty and was always cooking with her mum.

She even had plans on joining Loreto’s rowing team, but heartbreakingly her disease prevented her.

Ava would squeeze her loved ones hands twice when she wanted to tell them she loved them. Picture: Supplied by family

Ava grew up in the Five Dock area in Sydney before moving to the Adelaide Hills when she was seven.

She started at St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School before moving to Loreto College in year five.

Loreto assistant principal wellbing and engagement Emma Searle said Ava’s “brief years among us was a source of joy, love, and laughter”.

She described Ava as an intelligent, creative thinker who participated in Tournament of the Minds and performed superbly in the College Junior school musical Madagascar and sporting teams including basketball and netball.

“Ava was witty, had a wonderful sense of humour and was a dreamer,” Ms Searle said.

“She loved being with her friends and in her final term of starting high school this year, she found comfort laughing with friends, attending the aquatic camp in Normanville and being involved in a school she loved and truly belonged, with her sister, cohort and teachers.

“Our college community will be forever changed since the passing of Ava and she will always be remembered for her intelligence, cheekiness and passion for life and learning.

“Ava is a true Loreto girl with a compassionate heart who was driven to always do her best.

She will be dearly missed by staff, families, and the Loreto College Marryatville Class of 2029.”

Ava’s parents thanked the staff at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and Loreto College for their incredible support.

Ava was born on August 9 2011 and died peacefully at home surrounded by family on March 20 2024 – she was 12 years old.

She is survived by her parents, dad Darren and mum Christina, siblings, Charlie, Harry and Helena.

Originally published as Devastating final moment before Ava Grace Lynch died of a brain tumour