Addy appeared to be a healthy, energetic young child at the age of two. Her family had recently relocated, taken up new jobs, and were establishing a contented routine, so life was good. However, on a day in October of 2016, everything changed. Addy’s father noticed a slight limp in her gait while they were on a family outing. A minor stumble soon turned into a more serious issue, subsequent in unsteady hands, difficulty eating, and eventually the inability to walk unaided.
Matt Sooter/Hope for Addy Joy – Fighting DIPG
Their worst doubts were validated by a reverse MRI. Addy suffered from a rare and violent brain tumor called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG. Doctors told her that she had only a few months to live and that there was no therapy.
Her parents fought for every second despite the overwhelming diagnosis. After enduring 33 rounds of radiation therapy, Addy enjoyed six heavenly months of play and laughter. However, the tumor came back. In a frantic attempt to save their daughter’s life, the family spent more than $250,000 traveling back and forth from Arkansas to Mexico for new treatments.
Addy stayed strong through it all. Jackson, her older brother, was continuously by her side. The two were close, co-schemers. However, Addy became weaker as her symptoms deteriorated. “A little boy shouldn’t have to say goodbye to his best friend, his little sister,” her father wrote. Yet, that time arrived.
Brittany Coffee Photography
Addy’s condition fast deteriorated in May 2018. Actions were no longer effective because her tumor had spread down her back. She was taken home by her family, where she died quietly at 1:04 a.m. in the company of her loved ones. “She competed into the arms of Jesus, healed at last,” her father wrote.
Matt Sooter
Her knowledge serves as a heartbreaking reminder that childhood cancer exists and is not adequately funded. Pediatric cancers obtain just 4% of U.S. cancer research funding, and DIPG receives even less. In the hopes that effective Addy’s story will lead to alteration, her family is still an advocate.
Matt Sooter
Her father said, “We miss her very much.” “But we know that deity is still good, and we will see her again someday.”
