Family Commemorates Life of Teenage Photographer

A commemorative event took place to honor a teenage photographer who passed away last month due to a rare cancer. Liz Hatton, aged 17, dedicated her final year to fulfilling a bucket list, which included capturing images at London Fashion Week, various film premieres, and Windsor Castle, where she was pictured embracing the Princess of Wales. In tribute to the Harrogate teenager, her family adorned a space with photographs she had captured and a collection of her cherished possessions. Her mother, Vicky Robayna, stated, “I don’t feel sad when I look at any of them, I just feel so much joy that we had the moment.” Liz received a diagnosis of an aggressive desmoplastic small round cell tumour in January, at which point she was informed she had an estimated lifespan of six months to three years. Mrs. Robayna clarified that Liz was “determined” to avoid a funeral, leading the family to choose an exhibition showcasing her work at the DoubleTree by Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel as an alternative. Attendees were also offered Liz’s preferred snacks, such as lemon drizzle cake, salt-and-vinegar Discos, and international sweets. Mrs. Robayna remarked, “The last few months of Liz’s life were her happiest.” She added, “She was at her brightest and her best, she had her camera everywhere and every single one of these photos is a memory from that time.” Among the photographs exhibited were images of her brother Mateo, models from Fashion Week, and dancers from the Royal Ballet. Liz’s school friends, Daisy White and Alice Jackson, were present at the event and mentioned they began to cry upon viewing her creations. Alice stated, “I remember I sent her a message,” and continued, “I knew she wouldn’t see it but I just wanted to make sure she knew how proud everyone was.” A further highlight for Liz was her encounter with the Prince and Princess of Wales during an October event, where she was photographed embracing Kate. The Royal Family issued a statement, declaring it had been “an honour to have met such a brave and humble young woman.” Moving forward, Liz’s family seeks enhanced research into uncommon types of cancer. Mrs. Robayna announced, “We are going to set up a charity for desmoplastic small round cell tumours, the first in the world.” They have established a Just Giving page to collect donations in tribute to Liz. For highlights from North Yorkshire, listeners can access BBC Sounds, view the most recent episode of Look North, or submit a story for consideration. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.