April 22, 2008 – April 23, 2017
Diagnosed: May 2, 2016
Elijah was a playful kid with a huge imagination. He loved dinosaurs and cultivated a deep interest in obscure creatures, from fennec foxes to dung beetles. But the true center of his world was his little sister Genevieve, who he doted on from the day she arrived home from the hospital.
Born with an unexplained neurological condition that slowed his gross motor development, Elijah tackled physical challenges with a determination and sense of humor that persisted even after his DIPG diagnosis.
Elijah passed away on April 23, 2017, just one day after turning 9 years old. His family remembers his strength and vast interests in the world, wondering where those attributes would have taken him in life.
“This is what DIPG does – it steals our children and leaves us with precious memories and a long list of “what ifs” and “if onlys…It concentrates our love with a fierce intensity as we helplessly watch our child’s time run out. This caring does not stop after they are gone. We keep on remembering and fighting for them. Together we can make a cure for the deadliest pediatric brain cancer part of Elijah’s legacy.” — Kristin Sundrell
