Ezra's Pi Day at Boston Children's Hospital, 6NE

Dear Friends,

When we first arrived at Boston Children's Hospital on November 2nd of last year, Ezra was in terrible pain and fully paralyzed by an aggressive leukemia that we knew he might not survive. I was awake for the first 48 hours while he had multiple surgeries and tests. Those memories are mostly a blur, except for wandering up to our room on 6 North-East during Ezra's second surgery of the day, where our nurse found me and led me to the family room, where she put a piece of pizza in my hand and told me to eat it. It was the first thing I'd eaten since we got there.

For the months that we lived at BCH, meals from the 6 North-East family room kept us going. The week before Ezra died coincided with a patient-created holiday called Pig Week. For the kids, it's pig toys, pig games, and pig cupcakes, but for the staff it's also an annual memorial for a beloved child.

Ezra loved Pig Week, and asked what they were doing for Pi Day, but there is no annual Pi Day celebration on 6 North-East. Ezra thought that was a shame, and said that for Pi Day, on March 14th, they should have all kinds of pies. He loved science, and he loved pie. Ezra did not make it to Pi Day. He died with no fear or pain on March 6th.

In Ezra's memory and at his direction, we would like to create this tradition. Pi Day will feature enough dinner and dessert pies to feed the approximately 100 people on the wing, including the patients and their families as well as the staff, who did so much more than we ever could have asked for our son. This meal will be catered by a Boston-area vendor, which we are in the process of selecting.

We also hope to have STEM-related activities, games, and toys available for the kids. Ezra hoped to attend MIT, and like many other teens on the wing, he worried that his life goals would be sidelined to cancer. If donations allow, we would love to provide support materials and access to accredited online courses for teens like Ezra.

The festivities will happen on Pi Day, March 14th, and your donation will go toward pies to feed 100 and math games, toys, educational materials, and activities for the patients. If you know of any STEM organizations that would like to be involved or donate, please let us know. Thank you.