The Morristown council began Tuesday’s meeting with a moment of silence for Hedda Sivertsson, the Morristown High School freshman who passed away this month.
Councilman Michael Elms, whose daughter skied with Hedda, offered this tribute:
On Friday, March 2nd, a beautiful young woman and resident of Morris Township passed away after an exhaustive and brave 3-year battle with brain cancer. Her name was Hedda Sivertsson and she was 15 years old.
Hedda endured multiple surgeries and attempts to remove the tumor in her brain. She narrowly survived multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. At one point during her treatment Hedda lost her hearing and was legally deaf for almost a month.
During her illness the tumor in her brain grew so aggressively that it pressed against her spinal cord, crushing the nerves in her legs and rendering her paralyzed from the waist down for the last year of her life.
From the age of 12 to the very end of her short life Hedda suffered and endured more than any of us in this room could ever imagine.
Hedda was an inspiration to our community. I am proud to say that once informed of Hedda’s circumstances our community came together, rallied around Hedda and sprang into action — it was for Hedda that you have probably seen beautiful turquoise ribbons tied around trees, mailboxes and lampposts. A GoFundMe page for Hedda received a total of 541 donations totaling $58,200.
Hedda was a beautiful soul, mature beyond her years and always caring about others. She was an inspiration to thousands — students at Frelinghuysen Middle School and Morristown High, peers at her church and members of her ski team at Mountain Creek.
She inspired people both locally and worldwide and has taught many of us what it really means to be a fighter, and to live and love with grace. Hedda will be sadly missed but remembered always. She is now free of her illness and finally at peace.
