Little girl lived life to the fullest, was loved by all

Ten-year-old Taylor Baum didn't die Tuesday.

At least that's not the way her mom looks at it.

"I want everyone to say she was cured of leukemia," Tanya Baum said. "I would just want everyone to know that the last couple of weeks she fought so hard. She was just amazing."

A student at Westminster Christian School in Elgin, Taylor was diagnosed in May with a rare form of childhood leukemia.

After her diagnosis, Taylor was in and out of the hospital. But she also found time to hang out with friends and family, attend a Hannah Montana concert and visit Walt Disney World Resort and Sea World on a Make-A-Wish trip.

She was a member of Christ Community Church in St. Charles and was baptized Oct. 21.

"She was so fun-loving, outgoing, smart," her mother said. "This is not goodbye; it's until we meet again."

Her mother said she spent Monday night by Taylor's side.

"I told her, 'Everyone says you're too perfect to be here'," her mom said. "'You loved everybody. Everybody loved you. Now it's your turn to be happy.'

"I whispered in her ear, I said 'Honey, if you need to go home and be with Jesus, you just go ahead and go'," her mom said. "That was so hard. So hard."

Taylor's survivors include her great-grandmother and best friend Diane "Ruth" Nelson of Elgin; her father, John Johnson of Carpentersville; her sister, Mikayla; and her maternal grandmother, Lynn "Pookie" Erling of Elgin.

A celebration of life will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Christ Community Church, 37W100 Bolcum Road, St. Charles. Burial will follow in Elgin's Bluff City Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Laird Funeral Home, 310 S. State St., Elgin, and from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Friday at the church.