The most special part of childhood is the friendships you make along the way. Kids have an unspoken language that only they understand, and when two signals find a matching rhythm, there’s absolutely nothing better.
From the outside looking in, it’s easy to assume that kids fighting cancer miss out on these beloved childhood experiences. What most of us don’t see is that these children are born fighters. Courage is all they know. When they set their sights on something as special as friendship, you can bet they’ll make it happen.
When Stella and Julian first crossed paths during a hospital visit years ago, it was plain to see they’d be fast friends. But no one could’ve guessed what an inspiration their relationship would grow to be.
It can be a battle just to find moments of normalcy when you’re a child fighting uncurable brain cancer. Pulled from school, separated from friends, spending the bulk of your time going from one hospital visit to the next. It’s a level of isolation that most adults can’t comprehend.
Kids in the fight mature at lightspeed, accessing a depth of character that creates a level of courage and emotional fortitude unseen anywhere else. They have a clear understanding of what matters most in life, and the wherewithal to chase those things with all their might. In the case of Stella and Julian, what mattered most was friendship.
From their first meeting in an oncology clinic playroom, to dressing to the nines for fashion shows, to countless giggles, visits, phone calls, and even Julian taking a knee for a makeshift proposal, their friendship was as pure a love as you will find.
Sadly, reality set in. As summer turned to fall, Julian’s tumor spread throughout his brain and spine. By the time November came around, there were no more treatment options available. He was unable to leave his bed for over a month, and even the slightest movement caused him pain. Everyone in Julian’s corner did all they could to keep spirits high, but there comes a point where the gravity of a situation becomes all too clear. Even to a 10-year-old.
For Stella, reality meant returning to a fight she already knew too well. After a long road of treatment, there was a season where things felt steady, where hope had room to breathe. But cancer is cruel in its unpredictability, and earlier this year Stella was forced back into treatment once again because of a second cancer diagnosis. Even so, she carried herself with the same quiet strength and resilience that personified her approach to the fight from the very beginning.
The story of these two kids is one that deserved to span decades, but instead Julian took his final breath in December of last year. In his eulogy, Julian was compared to a wildflower, with all of the audacity to be exactly himself. There are no words that could express the level of heartbreak felt by every person who got to know Julian.
If you’ve ever loved and lost someone special, you know the feeling. Frustration and sadness combine as a pain that doesn’t end. A pain that only multiplies when the loss feels preventable.
We as a society have yet to discover the cure for cancers like Stella’s and Julian’s. In my mind, that is unacceptable. Government-sanctioned research dollars continue to dwindle, while families like Stella’s and Julian’s are left without options or a clear path forward. This cannot continue, and as it stands, the only people with the power to create change are individuals like you, who are as sick of this devastating disease as we are.
We did not tell you this story to emotionally charge you into making a donation. Rather, I wanted to lay out the true reality families in the fight are facing every day. Why? Because good people need to know. Because uncurable is unacceptable. And because Stella and Julian’s friendship is as beautiful today as it ever was.
If you feel called to donate to our mission, we’d be honored, and you can do so below. Thank you for taking the time to read this precious story, and we hope the light of Stella and Julian is a constant reminder of who we’re fighting for.
