Our Warriors Who Inspire Us

Abigail was a sweet and loving child with a genuine sense of humor. She was extremely compassionate and had an empathy for others that was very rare for kids her age to possess. She was intelligent with a passion for arts and science. She loved taking music and ballet classes – they brought her so much joy. She adored everything about Girl Scouts and was an avid member of Troop 541. She had such a kind and selfless soul, always treating everyone she met with respect and displaying a level of maturity that was well beyond her years.

During the summer of 2016, Abigail was determined to learn how to ride her bike but she could never keep her balance for long enough. She had always been a bit clumsy, but when she really started having trouble with her balance, her parents took her to the doctor. Following an MRI, Abigail was diagnosed with DIPG, an inoperable and fast-growing form of brain cancer at the age of 7. Abigail struggled with her treatment protocol. She hated the surgery, radiation treatments, and the experimental treatments that came after, but she made the best of it. The tears and struggles were always short lived. She never dwelled on her disease or unfortunate luck.

Abigail fought a valiant 9-month battle before she passed away at the age of 8 on June 15, 2017. Throughout her battle, Abigail remained positive and never stopped looking for the rainbow after the storm. While Abigail’s rainbow never came, funding for pediatric brain cancer research can provide a rainbow to the many children, present and future, battling cancer. Funding is the key to finding the cure, along with avenues of treatment that are less harsh and sustain quality of life for a prolonged period. One day, Abigail’s rainbow will put an end to the feelings of hopelessness that come with a DIPG diagnosis.