DECATUR Ill (WAND) - Gloria Martin, an advocate and friend to many, died from severe burns in a fire on Thursday evening.

She  fought tirelessly to being awareness to childhood cancer and she's now reunited with her beloved son, Silas. 

"Hopefully we can live for her and continue that and keep that fight going," said Tony Holly, director of strategic grantmaking at the Community Foundation of Macon County. He worked with Gloria in childhood cancer awareness. 

"We've just lost such a tremendous person in all aspects of the community. I mean, Gloria wasn't just a advocate for pediatric cancer. She was also a good friend to the community, a friend of children, and it's the big loss," Holly said.

Gloria's daughter shared how her youngest brother's losing battle with cancer affected her mom

"That was probably the biggest obstacle she ever had to deal with, and she just took it day-by-day," said Kristin Kiest, Gloria's daughter.

It was that obstacle that Martin candidly shared about in her book, "I Cry in the Shower: Loving Silas Living With Cancer". This book, along with helping create pediatric cancer awareness month in Decatur and supporting other mothers in the same situation, was her passion. She was always energetic and had a lot of ideas, Holly said.

"When I started my job, she's one of the first people that I reached out to about pediatric cancer, and she had a million ideas," Holly said.

Gloria was a woman of faith. She wanted to make the most of every day that God gave her.

"My mom kind of grabbed on to that faith that [Silas] had, and it helped her be strong, especially through the end for him because she knew that he had that strong faith, and it helped her stay strong for him," Kiest said.

Gloria's daughter also said she was very fun.

"You could say she was a little eccentric...she loved her fun jewelry and her fun boho looking like clothing. It was her unique style," Kiest said.

Kiest said although this is tragic, she's glad Gloria is now reunited with her son.