'Hug Lady' who embraced military and faith dead at 83
DALLAS – Elizabeth Laird, known as "The Hug Lady" to thousands of members of the U.S. armed forces over the years, passed away Thursday at Metroplex Hospital in Killeen, Texas.
Laird made it her mission to hug every single soldier as they boarded planes to deploy, and waited with a hug when they returned to welcome them home. WFAA-TV featured Laird in a story in November as many of the soldiers Laird hugged over the years stopped by to visit her at the hospital.
A GoFundMe for Laird's medical bills raised nearly $95,000 from more than 3,000 donors last month. It is unclear at this time what will become of those funds, though the page notes donations were to be used for life-prolonging health care and, if necessary, funeral expenses.
She was 83-years-old and had been battling breast cancer since 2005. She refused chemotherapy and radiation treatments, preferring to battle her illness using prayer and purpose.
Elizabeth Laird said she started hugging military personnel because a deploying soldier hugged her first. She said last month she had a simple reason for seeing them face-to-face: "I want them to know God will take care of them. But they have to ask Him," she explained.
Contributing: KCEN-TV