Schenectady

Jahaysia LaJuett, the 19-year-old cancer patient whose marriage ceremony in the city's Central Park caused an Internet sensation and a public outpouring of gifts and support, died Thursday at Ellis Hospital, according to The Community Hospice.

She was with her husband and her family when she died. She was in the late stages of a rare form of bone cancer when she married Jathyis LaJuett, 20, on Sept. 12. Word of her decision to wed triggered a massive public outpouring, with people from across the country and beyond donating gifts, including the dress she wore.

"She certainly embodied the philosophy of living life to the fullest," hospice spokesman Rob Puglisi said Friday.

The wedding was a gift from the community — nearly every aspect of it donated by people touched by the couple's story: A young couple whose love was embodied in their marriage vows — in sickness and in health — which they took under a white tent with dozens of loved ones and strangers watching.

Since last year, LaJuett had battled osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer. She was under the care of The Community Hospice.

After the couple's engagement over the summer, hospice staff members began spreading the word to help the wedding happen as quickly as possible.

Wedding treats and the flower girl's dress came from New Jersey, and the ring-bearer's pillow and the guest book were sent from Phoenix.

"She died knowing that people all over the world were touched by her story of strength and determination to make every day matter," Puglisi said.

A Facebook photo of LaJuett in her gown, which was donated by Bridal Gallery by Yvonne in Latham, tallied more than 358,000 Likes in the week between her fitting and the wedding.

Puglisi said military members stationed at sea sent donations and gifts poured in from Florida and other states.