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Liliana’s Legacy Liliana was diagnosed in April 2021 with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) at the age of 2 ½ and passed away on June 17, 2023. She endured photon radiation under sedation five days a week for six weeks, took steroids that caused significant bloating and weight gain, and began taking a phase 1…

Jaedon was a different child, he was truly like no other child I have ever known. Even through his cancer journey, he was still telling people how Good God had been to him. He also said he wasn’t afraid to die because he knew where he was going and he talked to God all the time. Jae was so considerate he never got an attitude or mad at anyone he just endured.

Heather was a happy and healthy kid. Just before her diagnosis she was running 5K races, competed in a Tough Mudder, and was doing P90X. She was a leader in her church youth group and volunteered to serve in many areas.

To say that the loss of McKenna has been devastating is an understatement. Our ray of sunshine is gone, and the hole she has left is dark and deep. However, McKenna was not one to dwell on the negatives of life. Her joy was contagious and her heart was huge. Her impact on the world was evident from the out-pouring of support we received from her family and friends during her illness.

Tanner Gillen was 13 years old when he was diagnosed with Grade 4 Glioblastoma. He remained charming, funny, and caring throughout his journey. Tanners’ greatest accomplishment is being the best son, friend, brother, dog owner, fisherman, golfer, and lover of history. He rested after a hard-fought battle on January 23, 2019, he was 14 years old.

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.”

As most of us are aware, when a child has a complex diagnosis, it affects the entire family and the entire family endures the journey. It was hard for our children to watch their sister fight for her life since she was just one. However, they adapted well to Lejla’s cancer diagnosis, and her health and treatment.

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?””

Gretchen was a vibrant 13 year-old girl who loved school, sports, reading fiction and hanging out with her friends. She was going to start high school and try out for the field hockey team in August 2023

Andrew lived life loud and with absolute exuberance. His laugh would fill the rooms and your soul in a way that would simply make you happy and proud to have this little man in your life.

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.