A 4-year-old Tennessee girl battling a rare and terminal form of dwarfism has died, her distraught relatives said.

Elliott Grace Castro, who was born with rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata, passed away suddenly on Friday while surrounded by her family in Franklin, where since 2015 as she lived with a condition that affects just a few dozen children worldwide, the Nashville Tennessean reports.

The girl inspired a late state lawmaker to support legislation allowing any child born with the disorder in Tennessee to receive services from the state’s Early Intervention System, which her relatives characterized as a critical change in her care.

“She defied the odds and would pave the way (along with help from state Rep. Charles Sargent) to make sure that any child born in Tennessee would receive life-changing services,” her obituary reads. “While her tiny little frame would never take a step or her beautiful little face utter a word, she found her voice through laughter and smiles.”

The girl, whose nickname was “Ellie G,” loved music, flashing lights and loud noises, according to her obituary. She’ll be remembered Tuesday during a celebration of life ceremony in Franklin, where her grandmother, Brandy Blanton, serves as a town alderman, the Tennessean reports.

Blanton announced her granddaughter’s death on Facebook with “paralyzing sadness,” saying she was simply unprepared for the loss.

“Our bright, happy little girl brought immense joy to our world and was webbed into every facet of our lives, so the days, weeks and months ahead will be extremely difficult – especially for her incredible parents who made the best life for our precious little girl,” Blanton wrote.

Most people diagnosed with rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata don’t live past childhood and it’s rare for people with the condition characterized by shortened bones in the upper arms and thighs to make it to age 10, according to the National Institutes of Health.

In 2015, the Tennessean profiled the girl and noted that her terminal form of dwarfism affected fewer than 1 in 100,000 babies worldwide – with many never living to see outside of a hospital.