SPECIAL BOND
When Brianna Payne’s sister died, she found an unusual way to keep her memory alive…
Brianna Payne and her younger sister Erin were super-close and they always dreamt about travelling the world together one day.
But tragically, Erin’s life was cut short when she passed away from an overdose. Determined that her sister should still see the world, Brianna took Erin’s urn with her as she set off on an adventure, which included hitting up Las Vegas for her sister’s 21st birthday.
Now, Brianna, 26, uses her social media platform to spread awareness about the dangers of fentanyl – the drug that claimed her sister’s life. Brianna says, “Taking my dead sister travelling with me is the perfect way to honour her short but incredible life.”
Growing up, the sisters did everything together. Brianna says, “Erin loved doing make-up and I worked as a model. We dreamt about travelling the world one day, with her as my make-up artist and me doing modelling jobs. There were so many places that Erin wanted to visit. ‘We’ll make it happen’, I promised her. Erin was five years younger than me, and she was the funniest person I knew. She loved dyeing her hair bright colours, which matched her vibrant personality.”
Growing up, it was just Brianna, Erin and their mum at home in Arizona, USA, then when Brianna was 18, she moved out to pursue her modelling career, but the sisters spoke every day.
CLOSE BOND
Erin turned 18 in April 2020, and the sisters couldn’t wait to start putting their travel plans into action. Brianna says, “FaceTiming her that morning, I smiled as her hot-pink hair filled the screen. After singing her happy birthday, we chatted about her plans for the day, which involved her hanging out with mates. ‘We’ll celebrate properly when I’m next home’, I told her. I knew she was going out a lot with a new crowd of friends and I told her to be careful. She said she would and that she loved me. I told her I loved her too.”
But in May 2020, things took a tragic turn. Brianna was woken abruptly in the early hours by the sound of her phone ringing. She says, “It was my uncle. I knew instantly something was wrong. ‘It’s Erin,’ he said gently. ‘I’m so sorry to tell you, but she’s passed away’. With that, my whole world crumbled.
“He told me that she’d died of an overdose but I refused to believe it. I sobbed and called Mum, who answered wailing. She was unable to speak.
I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare. I knew Erin had experimented with cannabis, but I had no idea she would take serious drugs. Devastated, I travelled home to be with Mum. My heart physically ached as I scrolled through Erin’s messages and photos on my phone. I thought about our dreams to
