Kevin's Last Wish

This is a short story about the legacy of Kevin.

He’s 12 years old this year, growing into his pre-teens, but still just a kid - crazy obsessed with LEGO and superheroes (but also has a soft spot for stuffed animals), would eat meatballs and chicken wings every day if his parents would let him, and is excited to be a LEGO reviewer and creator one day when he grows up. And while he’s a huge fan of superheroes, what he doesn’t realize is that he’s actually a superhero himself.

12 years is too short for a brave, thoughtful and enthusiastic boy to fulfill all his dreams but in that time, he lived out an inspiring life.

Kevin was born in March of 2006. When he was two years old, his family’s hearts broke as their lives were changed with the news that Kevin was diagnosed with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His childhood was spent in and out of the hospital with vigorous treatment and a bone marrow transplant, all while his family desperately yearned to keep him happy, healthy, and able to live a normal life.

At 8 years old, he went through his first bone marrow transplant and at just 10 years old, he went through his second transplant. This year in January, Kevin underwent cell transplantation, and while there were high hopes initially, the first round failed. Through immense pain, he begged the doctor to treat him again - that he would fight harder. He went through a second round, which once again, was unsuccessful.

Even though Kevin faced constant medical challenges and pain, he did not complain. For a kid fighting a battle that not even some adults have to face, he was a warrior and never gave up. He was always positive and an encouragement to his parents and everyone else.

In November of this year, Kevin’s kidneys began to fail and his condition worsened drastically. But he remained optimistic and reassured his family, promising that once he got better, he’d make a trip to China to protect the endangered panda bears there. On November 14, Kevin began to slip in and out of consciousness - and the hearts of those who love him shattered as he took his last breath on this day.

Being a superhero, his powers are in strength and compassion. At only 12 years old, on his last day, he expressed his wishes to his visitors and nurses: he worried deeply if his mom and dad had enough money to pay for his memorial, saying that he knew his family struggled financially and worked hard to make ends meet. His last wish was not a plea to save himself but to help his parents, who have loved him and cared for him.

Our wish is with Kevin’s, that his family’s unspeakable grief and heartbreak through this time is met with love and compassion from our community. All the money raised will be given to creating a beautiful memorial, and any excess donations will be given to research for childhood cancer - any amount is given would lessen his family’s burden through the most difficult time of their lives.

We can’t help but know that Kevin is pain-free, that he is fulfilling his dream of saving the panda bears, eating meatballs and chicken wings — and of course, building the greatest LEGO masterpiece ever imagined, here in heaven.