Like so many families, we were blindsided by Grace’s diagnosis. In 2017, at just 15 years old, she learned she had Ewing’s Sarcoma. The treatments successfully addressed the main tumor on her lower back, but the cancer that had spread to her lungs never fully went away. In 2022, at the age of 20, Grace’s earthly journey ended.
Yet, in those years between diagnosis and her passing, Grace embraced life in a way that continues to inspire us. She was never a complainer. Instead, she carried herself with strength, kindness, and a remarkable focus on others. Even as she endured countless medical treatments, she chose gratitude, consideration, and hope. Despite being told early on that her disease was terminal, she kept making plans for the future. She dreamed about where she would live, the family she might one day have—she even named her children. And she pursued those dreams as far as she could, walking in hope with a light that was beautiful to witness and remains beautiful to remember.
Grace defied expectations. She not only crossed the five-year survival mark, but she also enjoyed more than two years of “stable” disease that baffled her medical team. To us, it was nothing short of an answer to prayer—a gift of extra time, grace for Grace, and grace for us. In those years, our family leaned into life together. We were stretched, grown, and forever changed.
Grace loved her family deeply, especially her two little nieces, who brought her so much joy. She also had a passion for the simple and beautiful things in life: her plants, her coffee, traveling, and dancing. She dreamed of exploring the world, and we are so thankful for the gift of her Make-A-Wish trip to Maui. That journey was precious and left a lasting impact on her—and on us.
She was also an excellent artist. In the months before she passed, she painted each family member a unique piece of art, created just for them. She even took the time to write each of us a personal letter. Those final gifts are treasures we will always hold close. We marveled at her capacity to love us so fully and intentionally, even while she was facing so much herself.
Grace was, in many ways, still very much a kid—fun-loving, playful, and full of wonder. Yet she was also wise, mature, and remarkably grounded for her age. That contrast—the innocence of youth woven together with extraordinary wisdom—is something we still talk about often. And we do talk about her, all the time. She is part of our family, and she always will be.
Grace was never a victim and never entitled. She lived well and she lived big. She fought well and she fought big. Her ability to live in the balance between acceptance and trust made her a light to everyone she encountered. She touched countless lives, and people continue to share how her courage, kindness, and faith impacted them.
Her faith in Jesus was central to who she was. She was unashamed of her beliefs, even while wrestling with hard questions. She trusted God not by having every answer, but by surrendering her uncertainties and fears—like a child resting in the love of a father. And when the day came for her to leave this world, we know she met Jesus face to face, and all her questions were either answered or made irrelevant in His presence.
Grace is our hero—not because of cancer, but because of who she was. She taught us what it means to live fully, to love deeply, and to trust boldly. Our greatest hope is that we can carry forward even half the courage, faith, and joy that she lived with every day.
