Cystic fibrosis did not define Claire Wineland. She did.

No matter the obstacles placed in front of her, of which there were many, she refused to be pitied and was determined to live a life that mattered. She inspired countless people, invited -- no, demanded -- honest talk about illness and mortality, and brightened the worlds of those she touched with her smile, spunk and spirit.

On Sunday evening, after being taken off life support and using the newly transplanted lungs she received just one week earlier, Claire took her last breath. The cause of death was a massive stroke she suffered soon after the transplant surgery. She was 21.

'Love what is'

A quarter of Claire's life was spent in the hospital. The medical team that tended to her became family. She played hide-and-seek with nurses and left explosions of glitter in her wake. She watched one of her doctors squirm as he gave her the safe-sex talk. She took great care to decorate her hospital room so it felt and looked like home.

Her parents, Melissa Nordquist Yeager and John Wineland, split up when Claire was 3, but they remained friends and partners in her care.
Her father credits Claire with teaching him "to not be afraid of what hasn't happened yet" and to learn to "love what is."

Yeager, who lost and quit jobs as hospital stays dictated, always marveled at her daughter's aura and her ability to lift up those around her.

In 2017, Yeager recalled a conversation with Claire about death. At one point, Claire looked at her mom and said, "After you die, you're closer to everyone you love because you're part of everything," Yeager remembered.

These words were a gift, a reminder that Claire would remain with her always, even after she was gone.