Service for 8-year-old ‘Amelia the Brave’ set for Friday

A memorial service for an 8-year-old girl who lost her battle with brain cancer will be held Friday.

Amelia Carole Attaway, dubbed “Amelia the Brave” because of the courage she showed while battling her disease, died "peacefully in her parent’s arms" April 16, according to her obituary.

Attaway was diagnosed with brain cancer in September of last year.

She was athletic, loved to dance, cheer, bike, swim and the outdoors, according to her obituary.

The self-proclaimed giraffe expert was the daughter of Ken and Samantha Attaway, big sister to five-year-old Lauren and granddaughter of Paul and Carole Van Hoffelen.

Attaway will be missed by all of her close friends and second-grade classmates at Lake Carolina Elementary.

The service for Amelia Carole Attaway will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at Sandhills Community Church, and the family will receive friends from 3-5:30 p.m.

Friends, classmates and Amelia’s supporters will celebrate her life at The Lake House at Lake Carolina on Saturday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Ridge View and Lake Carolina supported Attaway during her treatments.

This story was originally published April 23, 2014 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Service for 8-year-old ‘Amelia the Brave’ set for Friday."