The Suau family of Framingham, Mass., got the worst news of their lives just three weeks ago, but Boston athletes and celebrities alike already are rallying around them.
After falling while snowboarding, James and Christine Suau initially thought their 6-year-old son, Devin, had a concussion. But after a trip to the doctor, they found out Devin had a rare form of pediatric cancer called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, which is a brain tumor on the top of the spine.
“It’s not operable and there is no cure and they gave us very little hope when we met with him,” Christine Suau said, per WBZ-TV.
Doctors gave Devin eight months to two years to live, but the 6-year-old hasn’t lost his youthful spirit. Devin is ready to fight the “very bad rock” in his head.
“We need to blow up and so I can have a good life,” Devin said.
The family started a campaign with the hashtag #WhyNotDevin, and set up a GoFundMe page for his fight with DIPG. It’s since received support from New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the Boston Red Sox, the Harvard hockey team, Massachusetts state police and Kim Kardashian. Brady even invited Devin to ride on his Super Bowl victory parade float.
Approximately 300 kids in the U.S. are diagnosed with DIPG each year, and most are between 5 and 9 years old. The GoFundMe page will not only go toward Devin’s medical bills but toward trying to find a cure, too.
Right now, the Suau family is holding on to hope that someone will be able to help Devin in his short timeline.
“My hope is that one of these pharmaceutical companies will say we are going to find a cure,” Christine Suau said.
UPDATE (10:45 a.m. ET): Devin got a special care package, courtesy of his friends over at the Red Sox.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@WhyNotDevinDIPG
