February 16, 2022 - Six Years Later
Early in the morning of February 16, 2016, we could tell that things were getting worse with Avery.
Her mid-night sleep was mixed with beeps and gasps for air, her suffering great, her rest no longer peaceful but painful.
But she kept fighting, if even for a few more hours.
A seizure that morning was the final indication we needed that her way-too-brief time on earth was coming to an end. As we called her hospice nurse to come to her room, her big brother holding one hand, her father holding her other, a momentary spasm of strength lifted both our hands up, her uncovered eye widely looking at us both, as if she was saying one more time, “I’m not quitting, I’m still fighting.”
As Cade and I looked at each other, we both got a sick feeling. Amanda began to hold Avery and comfort her, as music played in the background.
The fighter, the bravest child we’ve ever been around, had nothing left in her little body, and at 11:11 a.m. on February 16, 2016, she took her final breath.
Six years later, we are still picking up the pieces of that devastating day, a day we long knew was coming, a day we had hoped would never come.
From the day Avery was diagnosed, on June 30th, 2015, until February 16, 2016, she fought. She fought like only Avery could fight.
She didn’t lose her fight. No, she just ran out of time. She fought all the way until the end.
And six years later, we know she’s still putting up a fight- maybe not here, physically on earth, but her legacy and her story are helping us fight back for her. For us. For others.
We continue to share her story around the country, even around the world. Her tumor and cells from it, which we donated to research, is in hospitals around the world. It’s in hospitals nearby.
She keeps making an impact.
Avery should be 13 years old, a dramatic teenager, in middle school, anticipating high school and college and marriage and motherhood.
Instead, it has been six years without her, six painful years of missing her, wishing she was here with us.
Yet, six beautiful years of her story impacting lives all over the place, her story inspiring others to join us in fighting back, to give and donate so doctors and researchers can find a cure for what took Avery’s life, but what couldn’t touch her spirit or her legacy.
So we keep fighting back, all the way until the end- EXACTLY like Avery did.
She never gave up, so how could we? Why would we?
We couldn’t. We wouldn’t.
We fight for her. We fight because of her. We fight to honor her.
And that fight includes that wide-eyed look saying ‘we’re not quitting, we’re still fighting’.
Just like Avery would. Just like Avery did.
Join us in that fight: https://averystrongdipg.org/donate
We miss her so, so much. But we are honored to call her our daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend.
And inspiration.
Her brAvery pushes us daily and her story gets us out of bed each morning.
We’re not quitting, Avery, we’re still fighting. For other families, for other children.
For you.
#AveryStrong
Mom, Dad, Alex, Cade and Addison
