A bit more of our Journey

As hard as this is to type, I feel it's important to share a bit about Everett's journey. I'm leaving out so many details because it's still so hard. It will forever be hard, but here it goes.

On July 8, 2023, at age 2, after many trips to the children's ER, 2 admissions, fighting for a diagnosis, and being told nothing was wrong, the 7th doctor discovered a brain tumor we later learned was called an Ependymoma. Our world quickly turned upside down.

(For more details about our struggle to get his diagnosis, Click HERE.)

Like I said, so many details are left out because it's so hard to relive all of this, but we spent around 3 weeks in the hospital and endured many surgeries. Everett was such a strong little dino through it all. He had to relearn how to sit up, crawl, walk, and climb, and he even lost some of his speech. He did it all without complaint and blew everyone away. He showed us just how strong and resilient he was.

About 6 weeks later, our family had to be separated yet again as we moved away from home for 3 months while he underwent 33 radiation treatments. He was always the best patient and never complained. I'm not even sure he knew he was sick sometimes, aside from having such low energy and strength. Our sweet boy just wanted to play dinosaurs and visit the "dino cave" (radiation chamber).

On October 11th, he rang the bell.

All along, we were sharing Everett's story, his strength, and his perseverance through it all. We had people from all over praying for him.

His extreme love for dinosaurs actually helped him—and us—through it all, and that love for dinosaurs continues to help our family today.

As time went on, Everett slowly started gaining energy and strength back and began becoming more like his old self. We started living life again and continued going for scans every 3 to 4 months. He was getting so big, so strong, and seemed so healthy.

When people asked how he was doing, we often told them that you would never know what he had been through just by looking at him.

That's why, at the end of September, when he vomited for the second time, I thought something had to be wrong, even though it was before his next scan. I thought it had to be his shunt, which drained the spinal fluid from his brain.

When we were told his shunt was fine, my heart dropped.

The next words we heard were that he had 3 new spots and they were bleeding.

We were told it had come back with a vengeance.

After more testing, we learned the cancer cells were throughout his brain and spinal fluid. Surgery wouldn't help. They told us there was nothing more they could do.

They placed another shunt to try and give us a little more time, but as the hours passed, we soon learned one of his tumors had ruptured.

Less than 13 hours after finding out it was back, he was gone.

We all got to say our goodbyes, but that didn't—and doesn't—lessen the pain. It was the most excruciating night of our lives.

Everett left this world at 2:47 a.m. on October 1, 2024, only 3 short weeks after turning 4 years old.

We are still in complete shock, and I'm not sure that will ever go away. He was here one day and gone the next, and his absence is deafening.

We keep moving forward the best we can, and when we find ways to honor him, it helps our hearts a little.

Everett left behind a big brother and twin sister, and we hope that this Dino Hide & Seek project brings some much-needed joy to their hearts.

Please help us continue sharing his story of strength and perseverance. His love for life. His joy. The impact he made while he was here, and the lasting impact he continues to make through all of us who carry him forward.