Category: Donor Tributes

Brenna Jane Francis Corcoran was a 4-year-old with beautiful long eyelashes and big blue eyes. She fought DIPG with strength and bravery for 7.5 months. Brenna was the youngest of six children and the youngest child of Bonnie and Robert Corcoran.

Our sweet boy was the kindest, purest soul we will ever know. Everyone was a friend to him, and he cared for all. He was comforting and supportive, which was especially evident during his initial radiation treatments, where he quickly made friends with other patients.

Lydia Quinn Sharpe, born on March 26, 2016, was the youngest of Tara and Jonathan Sharpe’s three daughters. She was soft-spoken, thoughtful, and extremely considerate. Of all her sisters, she was the most willing to compromise so that other members of her family were happy. Tara and Jonathan referred to her as their “go along, get along” girl.

After diagnosis, Jace also loved – truly loved – the children he met with DIPG. He never asked why me? He asked why the little ones – the kids who haven’t played football under the lights, or skipped school, or kissed a girl. He asked his doctor, on the day he was diagnosed, “”how long do I have to make an impact before I die?””

Austin described himself as a “decent, cool dude.” He was the funniest and wisest person I have ever known, and he only lived for 13 years, 10 months, and 17 days. Austin was born with five brown birthmarks that, at the time, though extremely rare, seemed to be only a minor cosmetic issue.

Cecily was our sunshine. She lit up any room she entered. She loved her family and friends and took any chance to go do anything fun. . After radiation and chemotherapy her doctors told her that probably couldn’t happen. She told them that she would instead donate her brain and spine to research when the time came.

Our beautiful daughter, Mackenzie (Kenzie), was diagnosed with high-risk, metastatic medulloblastoma in May of 2018 at the age of seven. Over the next year, she endured two emergency brain surgeries, six weeks of whole brain and spine radiation, and seven months of high-dose chemotherapy.

Our Collin was a special little guy from the moment he was born. There was just something about him—about how he loved life and how he loved and cared for everyone around him. Collin made the lives of the people whose paths he crossed better. What made Collin stand out among everyone was his faith.

Grayson was full of life and loved being around people. His life was tragically cut short on 3/21/21, just two weeks after he turned 16. He was diagnosed with an aggressive pediatric brain tumor the month after he turned 14. He fought courageously during his 23-month cancer journey, maintaining a positive attitude despite the many awful side effects from the treatments he endured.

Born May 26, 2008, Ethan was a joyful, caring and fun-loving kid. A smile was almost always on his face. He was a peacemaker and enjoyed playing games together as a family. He loved his siblings, drawing, legos, the Yankees and his puppy Milo.

On November 13, 2020, just 5 short months after her initial diagnosis, sweet Lucy grew the most glittery, sparkly rainbow, beautiful angel wings that there ever has been. In the words of Lucy’s mom, Raegen, “Our hearts are shattered into infinite pieces, but we find comfort knowing that she is no longer suffering. Lucy’s battle may be over, but our war against DIPG wages on with fury.”