Carli’s Legacy
Our lives were forever changed on Christmas Eve of 2021, when our beautiful daughter, Carli, was diagnosed with DIPG—a rare and universally fatal tumor in the brain stem that afflicts an average of 200-300 children per year. Carli fought an inspirational battle for 18 months before receiving her wings in June of 2023.
Carli was our angel, borrowed from God. She came into this world and brightened the lives of everyone she met.
Carli had a huge heart and an empathetic soul beyond her years. Whether it was shaving her head to donate her hair or making and selling blankets to donate the proceeds to pediatric brain tumor research, she always looked for opportunities to help others whenever she could.
Carli made friends wherever she went. She loved being in nature—hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, playing lacrosse, and spending time at the beach. She enjoyed watching movies, listening to music, and loved being with her family. She had a special love for animals and encouraged us to fill our home with pets that she adored, and that now serve as reminders that she is always close to us.
Carli had just completed 8th grade when God called her home. Here far too briefly and gone far too soon, you are forever missed and forever in our hearts, sweet girl.
Our Donation Story
Carli wanted to help others and contribute to the effort to find a cure whenever she could. She agreed to participate in clinical trials not only for herself, but in hopes of helping other children, even if it wasn’t able to help her.
Donating was an opportunity to honor Carli’s legacy of compassion. It was the one decision that was clear in the midst of the most indescribably desolating time we will ever experience—it’s what she would have wanted.