Family of London teen killed in stabbing share memories, vow to work to end domestic violence
CBC
Breanna Broadfoot loved flowers.
The 17-year-old loved them so much, she once told her brother Lucas that whenever her time on Earth came to an end, she wanted to be planted as one.
This week, Broadfoot's loved ones will spread some of her ashes among the tiger lilies in the family's backyard. Those, her brother said, were her favourite.
"We're going to plant her in our backyard as a tiger lily, and she's going to be the biggest, most bright and colourful flower in the bunch," said Lucas Broadfoot, 15, his voice wavering as he spoke to CBC News in the family home.
"She was the best sister I could have asked for."
Across the family's dining table, adorned with flower bouquets, Breanna's parents Brett and Jessica Broadfoot said the sudden, violent loss of their firstborn had yet to fully sink in.
"We lost our baby girl to an act of horrible violence, which is very hard for me to fathom," said Brett Broadfoot.
Breanna died on Thursday, two days after she was stabbed at a home in east London by a man her family says she had been dating for eight months. Another 22-year-old man was also stabbed.
The boyfriend, an 18-year-old, was fatally shot by police, who identified the case as being linked to intimate partner violence.
After her death, six of Breanna's organs were donated to five different people, her dad said. The family is inviting the community to take part in a candlelit vigil to remember the teen. It's planned for 7 p.m. at Ed Blake Park.
Breanna was a shining star, with a heart of gold who dreamed of helping others, her parents said.
The 17-year-old had spent her summer hanging out with friends and handing out resumes. A student at Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School, she was about to start Grade 12 and planned to attend Fanshawe College after graduation.
An entry in her diary, written in late September 2021, spells out her plans for the future.
"What is my dream job? I think my 'dream job' is a child psychologist (at the mo' at least)," Breanna wrote in the entry, shared with CBC News.
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