Honouring Nalie Agustin’s legacy one year after her passing
Posted March 22, 2023 5:00 pm.
Last Updated March 22, 2023 6:57 pm.
A year to the day after Nalie Agustin passed away, her family gathered Wednesday at the mural painted in her honour and reminisced about the influential Montreal cancer advocate.
“We miss her, but at the same time, we see her presence everywhere,” her father Jess Agustin told CityNews.
The 33-year-old public speaker, social media influencer, and best-selling author passed away March 22, 2022.
Her nearly decade-long battle with breast cancer – and how she approached it online with heartwarming personality – touched people in the city and beyond.
“She inspired millions of people,” said her brother Albert Agustin.
“I am comforted by the stories, people come up to me about how she impacted them, how she influenced them. Positive stories and the bodies of work she left behind, her social media, her book. That’s comforting for sure.”
READ MORE: Celebrating the life of Nalie Agustin, Montreal cancer advocate
That online presence continues to help even after Nalie’s passing, says her other brother Justin Agustin. And he should know – he’s one of the people who returns to her work when he needs it most.
“My sister just left so much behind for us to enjoy her legacy,” said Justin. “She has an amazing YouTube channel, Instagram account, and I personally have just been watching her videos all day long.
“Any time I’m feeling sad I just refer to her videos and I feel like she’s there with me. Hearing her voice and reading her book, the ‘Diary of Nalie,’ I’m just so grateful that she left all of this for us, especially for me. That’s pretty much what helped me, this past year.”
Her family and loved ones gathered Wednesday on a particularly sunny afternoon at the Nalie Agustin mural in front of the Faubourg, at the corner of Pierce Street and Police Street.
The black-and-white mural itself has a ray of light shining on Nalie’s face.
“She always tackled everything with a certain level of energy and enthusiasm,” said her partner Vee Thakrar. “Something that I am sort of taking in to how I operate.”
WATCH: Remembering cancer advocate Nalie Agustin
For her family, the past year has gone by too quickly.
“The time seems to fly by, but at the same time, it’s still in a standstill,” said her father Jess. “All at once, all at the same time, because we’re still grieving. And yet at the same time, we are amazed by the legacy that she gave us and the community.”
