Brooklyn was her mom’s little "force of nature." As soon as she could walk it was hard keeping up with her. She was feisty, full of life, opinionated, loved to dance, talked nonstop, and loved to laugh and be silly. She lived life big from the very beginning. She loved being outside, but swimming was a favorite activity from very early on. By the age of three, she could dive to the bottom of the pool. She loved slides at the water park and even the diving board. She was fearless. Her dad is a horse trainer, so by 18 months she was riding her pony, Lacy, and taking Lead Line classes at local horse shows. She would often go to work with her dad, so she could ride, bathe, and hang out with the horses and her trusty dog, Lucy. She loved all animals, but the barn was one of her favorite places to go. She loved flowers and would pick them for her mom wherever they went.

Brooklyn adored her two older brothers, Logan and Cole. They were "her boys", and whatever they did she was tagging along behind them. She always wore a baseball hat and her brothers’ sports jerseys. At 4-years-old, she was already interested in playing soccer and played backyard baseball, basketball, and even football. 

In August 2017 at 4 ½-years-old, Brooklyn was diagnosed with DIPG, an inoperable and highly aggressive form of brain cancer. Prior to her diagnosis, she suffered from pains in her forearms for over a week that just kept getting worse. She was a tough little girl, so her parents knew something was wrong. It took several trips to the pediatrician and eventually that led to a CT scan and her diagnosis of DIPG. 

The once vivacious girl was now fighting for her life, and all of her energy was gone. She hated being in the hospital and around all the people; it made her very unhappy. She talked constantly of going home to “her boys,” her dog, her friends at preschool.... her life. 

In the five months that Brooklyn fought DIPG, losing her energy and mobility were the most difficult. She even told her mom that she would never be able to color again, play with play dough or ride her bike because her hands didn't work anymore. She didn't understand what had happened to her, but it frustrated her and made her so sad. She was of course irritable and lost her smile and joy because of the pain and discomfort.

Fighting for your child's life is like living with a gray cloud hanging over everything, every day. The trauma of watching Brooklyn suffer will forever be ingrained in her parents’ minds. Her brothers suffered unimaginable pain when they lost her, and their cries, anger, and pain added another layer of suffering to their parents. Brooklyn brought so much joy, and love, and life to her family, and that family unit will never be whole without her in it. 

Funding for DIPG specifically means everything. Research is the difference between life and death for a child and without it unimaginable pain for the family. No family should be left with NO treatment or options when their child is diagnosed with this horrific disease. Without research, families are left without hope, and hope is what fuels the journey through childhood cancer. No family should have to watch their child suffer and die. Every child and family deserves hope and that's what research offers them.

Thank you for choosing to donate to The Cure Starts Now Foundation. 100% of this donation, after credit card processing fees, goes directly towards research to find the homerun cure for cancer starting with pediatric brain cancer research.

If you would like to make a donation by mail please send a check to:  The Cure Starts Now Foundation; 10280 Chester Road; Cincinnati, OH 45215 and put the child's name in the memo.

The family receives notification of all donations made to this tribute fund automatically.