Meila, who turned 13 in September, died at home in her mother Kristin Davis’ arms on October 29, having fought terminal osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, for 17 months.
She was farewelled at a service in Jack’s Point on Tuesday.
Ms Davis said right up to the very end, her daughter fought.
"In her last day on this earth, we had a conversation about what she wanted to do this summer — it was hang with her friends and go camping.
"She didn’t want to pass away, she had plans, she had hope right till the end."
Since her diagnosis last June, Ms Davis said her and husband Hayden’s determined girl fought as hard as she could.
She initially received treatment in Christchurch, which was not successful, and while there suffered a collapsed lung, requiring surgery.
After nine months, the family was able to move back to Queenstown, where Meila started oral chemotherapy.
She was recommended for a potentially life-saving drug, EnGenIc Dream Vector, but because it was still in a trial phase, and there was no research on side effects for children, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora denied her access to it.
In May, she was accepted into a clinical trial in the United States, aimed at children with osteosarcoma, and was to have travelled there in September for the second stage of treatment — a charity fundraiser, at Vingard in August, raised about $100,000 towards the cost.
Unfortunately, the week before she was due to fly out Meila was ruled ineligible.
Soon after, Meila and her family decided to travel to Germany, where she was enrolled in a cell immunotherapy clinic. She spent two weeks there at the beginning of October, however, on her way back to New Zealand she had difficulty breathing.
Scans at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne showed the cancer had spread further into her lungs.
"The pain she went through for months will forever haunt me, but the fight she put in to be here will forever make me proud," Ms Davis said.
"I learnt so much about Meila over the past 17 months — stuff I wouldn’t have likely learnt had she not gotten sick.
"Meila was so strong, and so confident — I was so proud of her, and extremely proud to point her out [in] a crowd and say she was mine."
Ms Davis said from an early age Meila showed determination and strength, starting to walk at 10 months and then "danced her heart out from there on".
"She was always keen on a dance party in the lounge with the lights off and glowsticks, or pretending she was on the Care Bears’ cheerleaders team."
An animal lover, she had a particularly special relationship with one of the family’s pups, Romeo.
She was also fiercely protective of her three brothers, Munroe, 7, Mickey, 5, and Makena, 3.
Her mother said the Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau student’s favourite thing to do was make TikToks.
"I got shown a message Meila has reposted ... it said, ‘I would choose my mum to be my mum in every lifetime, again and again’.
"I would choose you, too, my darling girl [and] ... give everything to have you back."
