“This was her battle; she fought; she didn’t win that day (the day she took her life),” Corinne said.

But the family hopes that her death in some way will lead to help for others facing the same battle.

“We can’t truly understand how deep she was hurting,” Corinne said, noting, “It came at the end of a week that she had happy moments.”

She remembered the young girl with the huge smile after achieving her dream of flying across the country and said, “That’s what she was striving to get back” (the happiness of her youth).

Vicki’s sister, Elizabeth, said, “She was an inspiration in my life. She was the smartest person I ever knew. She had more guts than anybody I ever met in my life. I’m going to miss her so much.”

“Through her remarkable life, she touched countless lives. We all know she is not finished,” Corinne said.

Funeral arrangements are under direction of Byham-Miller-Mizner Funeral Home and haven’t been announced.