BOSTON -- The Quincy, Mass., breast cancer patient whose struggle with the government captured the public's heart is being remembered for her strength and generosity. Tina Yuan died Friday.

It was Yuan's dying wish that she be reunited with her parents, but the U.S. government had refused to grant her parents a visa, fearing they would not return to China.

"Tina was an extraordinary woman for so many reasons. Both with the courage she fought her cancer; for the love that she had for her kids. She's one of those people I think was an every day hero," oncologist Dr. Steven Isakoff said.

Isakoff had written many letters on her behalf and her lawyer had reached out to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's office, but Homeland Security believed her parents fit the profile of people who would overstay their visa if allowed into the country.

Only after NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reported on the dispute, were her parents allowed to enter the country in September. They were by her side when she died.

Yuan was known for her generosity and thoughtfulness. She was often giving gifts to those who cared for her, including Isakoff and the staff at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"I think the thing I will remember most about Tina is even toward the end, she had such vitality and such a spirit to want to live. And the kindness that she had even in the face of this tragedy," he said.

Yuan would have celebrated her 42nd birthday Saturday. She leaves behind a young son and teenage daughter.