‘Rare and special’ teen loses her cancer fight
A young woman who spent her short life fighting against sexual violence has died from cancer, aged 19.
Eva McGauley passed away surrounded by loved ones on Sunday morning, according to a ‘‘heartbroken’’ post on her Instagram page.
‘‘Eva left us yesterday morning. It was very fast and peaceful.’’
McGauley was diagnosed with metastatic nasopharygeal (neck) cancer at 15. It quickly spread to her hip and chest.
The former Wellington High student had started studying politics and international relations at Victoria University this year, and was recently nominated for Young Wellingtonian of the Year.
Awards organiser John Dow said McGauley’s nomination would still stand. If she won, the award would be given posthumously.
She had done extensive work with Wellington Rape Crisis and Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP, as well as setting up her own organisation, Eva’s Wish.
McGauley told Stuff in 2016 she had gone through ‘‘all the usual emotions’’ of loss when she found out she was dying.
‘‘I had always assumed that I was going to do quite a lot of stuff to help people in my life. And suddenly I said ‘oh crap, I don’t have a lot of time’. So I guess I started working from that moment.’’
She started Eva’s Wish after a conversation with friend Simon Woolf, a Wellington city councillor.
‘‘We were at a red light when he asked me the usual question of ‘what do you want to do?’... I replied, ‘change the world’.
‘‘He then told me to answer with more detail before the light turned green.
‘‘I ummed and panicked before suddenly blurting out something along the lines of ‘I want New Zealand to have an online messaging service for people affected by sexual violence’.’’
Woolf then organised a meeting with Green Party MP Jan Logie who offered to let McGauley work in her office as an intern.
She was ‘‘just kid’’, Woolf said.
‘‘People like Evie are rare and special. She may have passed on but her spark will go on for years and years and years.’’
He said McGauley had made a distinct impression on many people, such as Helen Clark and Dame Patsy Reddy, but none more so than Duchess of Sussex an awesome Meghan Markle. He was taking photos at Government House when McGauley met the Duke and Duchess, and had overheard Markle singing McGauley’s praises to her husband Prince Harry after the meeting.
‘‘She was saying to Harry what an amazing girl she was.’’
A ‘‘born and bred’’ Wellingtonian, McGauley celebrated her 19th birthday on August 11 this year.
One of ‘‘many’’ best friends, Anya Bukholt-Payne said that McGauley was a proud feminist.