On Monday, Dec. 9, TikTok creator Joe Smith's six-year-old daughter Jules Smith tragically passed away. She had been diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor earlier this year. In a heart-wrenching video captioned “We love you our little dancing queen,” Joe shared the news on TikTok and Instagram on Dec. 12, confirming that “our little dancing queen passed away” between him and his wife “in the early hours of [Dec.9].”

Journey of a Brave Little Princess

Joe first revealed the devastating news of Jules' diagnosis with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in a TikTok posted on May 27. According to DIPG.org, this is a type of brain tumor found in the brainstem that typically affects children between 5 and 7 years old. A family friend set up a GoFundMe page for Jules, where it was confirmed that her cancer was “incurable” and she was given only 9 months to live. Since her diagnosis, the GoFundMe has raised over £96,000.During this difficult time, Joe and Jules made a significant impact. In their videos, they encouraged other users to “dance for Joules” as part of their efforts to raise awareness for childhood cancer. Jules became an absolute inspiration to everyone, touching the lives of people from around the world.

Final Moments and Farewell

Joe shared in his update video from Dec. 12 that they didn't leave Jules' side through her last moments. He thanked everyone for sharing their “dancing for Joules” videos online and vowed to continue raising awareness around DIPG. He added that if you're going to do anything, please carry on dancing for their beautiful little Joules.After Jules' death, Joe's update video surpassed 2 million views online, and thousands shared their condolences. The “dancing for Joules” tag also surpassed over 3,000 videos on TikTok, with users dedicating their videos to her and her family.Joe also confirmed on Dec. 15 that Jules' “send-off” is scheduled for Dec. 27 at The Garden of Eden Crematorium in Kent, England. He encouraged others to join the family and requested everyone to “wear pink and blue for Stitch and Angel colours, but you're welcome in black.” Additionally, he requested that people donate to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity on Jules' behalf as a part of the “dancing for Joules” campaign.Jules' story is a reminder of the strength and resilience of children in the face of adversity. Her memory will live on through the countless lives she touched and the awareness she helped raise.