My name is Dominique. I am the proud mom of three amazing little humans. I have the privilege of sharing this life with my husband, Jashua. Our children are the focus of our lives. Our oldest is Aiden, we have our beautiful daughter Kapri, and we just welcomed our youngest Nolan into the world on Easter. 

This is Aiden's story.

When Aiden was 15 months old, we found out he had a tumor in the left frontal lobe of his brain. He underwent a craniotomy on May 27, 2021. Two days later, Aiden walked out of the hospital full of energy, wanting to run and play. We were beyond thankful. 

On June 20th, Aiden went on his first airplane ride. He was excited and mesmerized! Little did he know, he was flying to Pennsylvania from our home in Florida to start treatment. Our little family was relocating to Pennsylvania so that he could undergo treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Aiden went through 6 chemotherapy treatments, totaling 41 infusions, 3 stem cell transplants, multiple surgical procedures...all before the age of 2. He faced everyday with an amazing attitude and spirit.  The amazing nurses at CHOP called him " The Backpack Boy". He loved having his backpack full of toys and fidgets. He was ready to go at all times! They loved to come to the room just to see him! 

Throughout treatment, he loved to see “all the peoples", as he called everyone. His interactions were limited to the treating staff, seeing people through his hospital room windows, and meeting his friend, Owen, in the hallways.  Aiden adored his baby sister, Kapri. He loved laying beside her, talking to her, singing to her, teasing her with his toys, and simply just looking at her. She helped to make his time at the hospital more tolerable for sure. Kapri was his world. 

Aiden finished treatment and rang the bell on December 21, 2021. Ringing the bell is a milestone every family or person walking this journey looks forward to. Aiden was finally able to go home and recover. We were so proud that our little boy was going home!

He embraced every waking minute like no other. He enjoyed playing with the Christmas tree ornaments, taking walks in the winter air, seeing the snow fall, and playing with it for the first time. It was different than the sandy beach, but he loved it just the same!  Aiden was able to spend time at home surrounded by his family without interruption. He gave so many kisses and hugs to those he loved, especially his baby sister. He celebrated his second birthday via zoom with family near and far. We were all looking forward to slowly introducing him back into socialization. Everything was going in the right direction, or so we believed.

Unfortunately, on March 7, 2022, as we went for a PET and an MRI, it took longer than usual. My husband and I felt uneasy.  As soon as the doctor came out and asked if anyone had pulled us back yet, we knew something was wrong. Walking back to an empty room, our hearts fluttered, and the knot in our throat wouldn't go down.  "I’m sorry, his mass came back, and it's bigger than before. It's inoperable," he said.

In my head, I wanted to say, "Wait, what? How could this be? You have the wrong scans.... please look again!"  The first words out my mouth instead were, " Can I see my baby, please?"  As we waited for him to come back, we had so many questions. And then we had the dreadful call to make to our parents, who were worried sick because of the time. It felt like eternity for them to bring him back.

Unfortunately, that night Aiden was admitted to the ICU, and we were introduced to hospice. We were told we had days to only a few weeks left with him. Wow, how do you move on when faced with this news? The knowing that we were preparing to experience the loss of our beautiful baby boy, our strong big guy, was heartbreaking. But there was no other choice other than to wrap him in love and move forward.

Aiden maintained his fighting spirit. He came home and kept moving forward. He was baptized into the Eastern Antiochion Faith (this is when he inherited the Saint name of Luke). He took communion every week from baptism until his passing. On good days, he found peace in being held, being read to, playing with his toys, watching his movies or shows, and keeping an eye on his little Kapri. 

Aiden held on to life with so much strength and dedication. Aiden maintained his presence until God called him home on May 10, 2022. We had 64 days with him...and we thank God for every moment.  His presence is still carried through us today and will be every day for the rest of our lives.

PCFLV helped to make pretty tough times a little more bearable. We are thankful for the gas and food gift cards, along with all the emotional support. Thank you, PCFLV, for being there! Thank you for the continued support as we face the fact that Aiden is in "Heaven Camp", as we like to call it. The hard work and devotion you have to every single kiddo and their family is greatly appreciated. 

Written by Aiden’s mom, Dominique

Please consider helping children with cancer and others in our community by scheduling a blood donation at Miller-Keystone Blood Center: https://donor.giveapint.org/donor/schedules/zip