Heartbroken Spanaway mother's photo of urn in car seat honors ‘baby girl'

A grieving Spanaway mother took to Facebook months after her young daughter's lifelong cancer battle and wrote "you should be here."

Her daughter Ellie Walton was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 4 months old. It grew to a third the size of her brain.

Ellie died in January. Last week, a heartbreaking post showed an urn strapped into a car seat.

"Life's not fair baby girl, you know that better than anyone. I do know that your life brought me so much joy, and looking back, I'm thankful that I made sure to tell you every single day just how much I loved you. I will forever be grateful to have been your mommy," the post read.

Last year, KIRO 7 News talked to mother Sarah Walton and her daughter Ellie, who was 3 years old at the time.

Ellie was known for her smile and her laugh, but as her condition worsened, the smiles seemed to come only after interacting with her older sister, Ava.

Together the sisters collected hundreds of postcards from well-wishers, a project they started because Ellie’s condition did not allow her to travel.

Ellie endured at least 28 rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and 17 surgeries.

Her mother wrote on Jan. 16, “Ellie gained the strongest and most beautiful wings this morning around 8:30. Right now I have no words, other than thank God for making me her momma.”

The Tacoma News Tribune contributed to this report 

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