Elena Rosemary Desserich was born on December 21 2000. She is survived by parents, Keith and Brooke, & younger sister, Grace.
She was described as sweet, selfless, loving, intelligent, wiser than her years, strong, determined, amazing, beautiful, caring and an old soul.
In November of 2006, when Elena was just 5 years old, she was diagnosed with DIPG, and Elena's doctors told her parents that she had only 9 months to live. Brook and Keith, Elena's parents, didn't tell her because they were almost certain she knew and they wanted to make her nine months as special as possible for her. Despite a month of radiation, Elena's health deteriorated and she lost the ability to speak and eventually became paralysed.
Elena sadly passed away at the age of 6 on August 11 2007
surrounded by her family after battling the brain tumor for nine months. After Elena died, her parents started to find her notes around the house. Elena had written notes for her family mostly saying how much she loves them and how she will miss them. Elena's parents even found them in Christmas decorations and notes were still being found around their home over a year after Elena passed away.
*Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)is a devastating, aggressive brain tumor of childhood. It arises in the pons, a region of the brainstem involved in critical body functions. Approximately 300 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with DIPG each year. Unfortunately, most children do not survive more than a year after diagnosis.*
Elena Rosemary Desserich was born on December 21 2000. She is survived by parents, Keith and Brooke, & younger sister, Grace.
She was described as sweet, selfless, loving, intelligent, wiser than her years, strong, determined, amazing, beautiful, caring and an old soul.
In November of 2006, when Elena was just 5 years old, she was diagnosed with DIPG, and Elena's doctors told her parents that she had only 9 months to live. Brook and Keith, Elena's parents, didn't tell her because they were almost certain she knew and they wanted to make her nine months as special as possible for her. Despite a month of radiation, Elena's health deteriorated and she lost the ability to speak and eventually became paralysed.
Elena sadly passed away at the age of 6 on August 11 2007
surrounded by her family after battling the brain tumor for nine months. After Elena died, her parents started to find her notes around the house. Elena had written notes for her family mostly saying how much she loves them and how she will miss them. Elena's parents even found them in Christmas decorations and notes were still being found around their home over a year after Elena passed away.
*Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)is a devastating, aggressive brain tumor of childhood. It arises in the pons, a region of the brainstem involved in critical body functions. Approximately 300 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with DIPG each year. Unfortunately, most children do not survive more than a year after diagnosis.*
