Kayla Mueller was killed while trying to wipe away human suffering from the world’s most vulnerable victims.
The Obama administration and Mueller’s parents confirmed on Tuesday that the 26-year-old who was being held hostage in Aleppo, Syria, has died, according to the Associated Press. But family members and supporters are focusing on her mission to help people in need, and less so on the brutality she faced at the end of her life.
“The common thread of Kayla’s life has been her quiet leadership and strong desire to serve others,” her family said in a statement.
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On Friday, ISIS released a statement claiming Mueller had been killed in a Jordanian airstrike in Raqqa, Syria. The Jordanian government said later that it was “highly skeptical” about the extremists’ statement.
But the details surrounding her untimely death isn’t what the family wants to focus on.
“We are so proud of the person Kayla was and the work that she did while she was here with us,” her family said, according to the AP. “She lived with purpose, and we will work every day to honor her legacy.”
