Luke was an active, happy, healthy, loving, inquisitive 5-year-old little boy. After symptoms that appeared suddenly, he was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a fatal and inoperable brain tumor.
Two radiation attempts later, Luke declined quickly. He was extremely uncomfortable, unable to speak or walk without help, or even hold his head up. Through it all, Luke smiled and laughed until he literally could smile and laugh no more.
By the end of the week, Luke was in the Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Luke was unable to breathe on his own. He was kept in a medically induced coma while family and friends visited.
On April 25, 2018, just 17 days after being diagnosed with DIPG, Luke died peacefully in the arms of his loving parents.
A note from Luke’s mom, Jill:
Luke was very articulate and so loving. He would randomly and frequently call out to us from other rooms of the house just to say “I love you!” From a young age, Luke had an empathetic soul, always quick to offer smiles, hugs, and encouragement.
Our family continues to build Luke’s legacy and is committed to raising awareness of and funding for DIPG research, a disease that has seen no noteworthy improvements in treatment options or outcomes for over 50 years. DIPG remains fatal upon diagnosis. Too many children are never given a chance and to watch them fight during their limited time is both inspirational and heartbreaking.
Luke left a special light with each person he encountered on this earth and he continues to do so.
Luke’s tumor was donated to the Morgan Adams Foundation Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado / the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to further research into diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma and new treatments for pediatric cancer.
Please support this important research in honor and loving memory of Luke:
