Melyssa Ford honored the life of friend and former Blood, Sweat & Heels co-star Daisy Lewellyn on the year anniversary of her death.

The reality star and fashion editor loved for her infectious spirit, passed away April 8, 2016 after a battle with cancer. As noted by Bravo, the California-native worked at several high-profile fashion magazines including InStyle, Glamour, and ESSENCE and penned the 2010 book Never Pay Retail Again: Shop Smart, Spend Less, & Look Your Best Ever.

She chronicled her battle with cancer on the show, taking fans along for her journey with the disease. During the 2015 finale, she celebrated the end of her radiation treatments.

In Melyssa’s post, she opens up about how Daisy’s life inspired her to love harder.

“It’s been a year to the day that @daisylewellyn passed away,” Melyssa begins. 

“The day of her funeral I came home, sat on my back deck and stared at the mountains for two hours, trying to reconcile that one of the brightest, funniest, most caring women I had ever met had died at the age of 36. She was becoming successful, but she also wanted to be married and to have children; yet her life was cut short and it just didn’t make sense. And it HURT. I made a pledge to her and myself that day that I would live my best life, for both of us.”

Adding, “I’m just so GRATEFUL I had the opportunity to know her and to truly come to understand what part of our purpose is here on this earth: to share with one another, to love as hard as possible without fear, to experience as much as we can pack into our little bags before we are called back.”

Lewellyn was a fighter, and knowing the severity of her sickness, she shared her strength with others. 

“I have cancer – cancer doesn’t have me,” she said in March 2015. “Every day comes with its challenges, but that doesn’t stop me from celebrating what I have in my life. I wanted to turn this tragedy into triumph by sharing my story in hopes that even one person could feel inspired.”