“Hadley was the kind of child who brought people together without even trying,” her obituary reads. “To know Hadley was to love her.”
By Darin Zullo
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The town of Lunenburg came together Friday to honor the life of Hadley Boucher, a 7-year-old girl who died last month from an inoperable brain tumor.
“Hadley was the kind of child who brought people together without even trying. Her smile made strangers feel like friends, her kindness made others feel seen, and her joyful spirit created warmth wherever she went,” her obituary reads. “She had a heart far bigger than her seven years and loved deeply, freely, and without hesitation. To know Hadley was to love her.”
Boucher, affectionately known as “Haddie B.,” died May 27 after a battle with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare but highly aggressive form of childhood brain cancer. DIPG primarily affects children between the ages of 5 and 10, and about 300 children are diagnosed every year, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Last year, when Boucher was diagnosed, a family friend set up a GoFundMe page for her. With an initial goal of $100,000, the fundraiser has now received more than $275,000 in donations.
Boucher’s diagnosis began the “Hope for Haddie” movement to raise awareness for her and her family. Since then, people from Lunenburg and Leominster, where Boucher was born, joined together for a show of support that only grew.
Green became the color to represent the movement, and after Boucher’s death, both communities were covered in green lights in her honor. This included the Leominster City Hall, with the help of city electricians.
Funeral services for Boucher, a first-grade student at Lunenburg Public Schools, were held Friday. To give the community time to grieve and attend the services, the district implemented a half-day at all schools.
“Many of our staff members deeply loved Haddie and her sisters, and it is vital that they are able to attend the services to show their love and support for the family during this unimaginably difficult time,” Lunenburg Public Schools Superintendent Jodi Fortuna said on Facebook. “In times of profound sorrow, the strength of our Lunenburg community is our greatest comfort.”
The Town of Lunenburg also paid tribute to Boucher on social media, noting that she “touched the lives of many residents, students, staff, and community members.”
“Today, the Town of Lunenburg joins our community in remembering Hadley “Haddie B.” Boucher and extending our deepest condolences to her parents, Derek and Alyssa, and her sisters, Olivia and Peyton, as well as her entire extended family and loved ones,” the town said on Facebook. “We ask that you keep her family in your thoughts as they gather to honor and celebrate her life today.”
Boucher is survived by her parents, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great-grandmothers, according to her obituary. She is also survived by “countless extended family members, friends, classmates, teammates, and supporters who loved her dearly.”
“Although Hadley’s life on earth was brief, her love was enormous. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, strength, joy, and togetherness that will continue to live on through every person she touched,” Boucher’s obituary reads. “Her laughter will echo in treasured memories, her spirit will live on in acts of kindness, and her love will forever surround those who were blessed to know her.”
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