David

“I am happy with the decision I made,” David said often after making the choice to forgo further treatment for chondroblastic osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, last January.  When ten weeks of chemotherapy at UVA Children’s in the fall of 2020 failed to shrink the primary tumor, David was left with the decision to undergo a very aggressive surgery which could possibly leave him paralyzed and had a low percentage of saving his life, or live the life he had left on his terms.  David chose to spend time with family and friends, doing the things that he loved and brought him joy with his remaining time.

And he did just that.

David, a senior at James Wood High School outside Winchester, VA, embraced the little time he knew he had left by jumping back in to school with his friends his junior year and the sport he loved best, lacrosse.   While his body would not allow him to run up and down the field for hours and hours, David shared the skill and passion he had for the sport with others when he served as the assistant coach for his high school team last spring.

In addition, David used his “Make a Wish” request for recording equipment so that he could leave messages for his loved ones.  Thinking of his family and friends and how they would face his untimely passing, he wanted to assure them that he was at peace with the choices he made and the short life he lived.

It was his remarkable zest for life, charisma, thoughtfulness and determination to live each moment to its fullest that left an impact on all that knew him.  His doctors, nurses, coaches, teachers, neighbors and the lacrosse community rallied behind him in his final months.  Dr. Katye Herring, his oncologist at UVA Children’s, said that in her job she sees pediatric cancer patients every day, but every once in a while she gets one that is special and touches her heart.

While David is gone from this world, he will never be far from the hearts of those who knew him because he touched the hearts and lives of all who had the privilege of knowing him.

The Yellow Door Foundation community joins David’s family in mourning the loss of a shining star.