9/24 - Tony

Tony is another kiddo we never got to meet but who has inspired us greatly. We know all about Tony’s story from his parents who continue to fight for kids like ours and theirs. I met the Merks when they were volunteering to serve brunch at the Ronald McDonald House and I noticed the grey ribbon on their shirts. We talked about their son and our daughter and formed a bond. Since then, we have stayed in touch and have had the opportunity to participate in the 5k held in memory of their son and have also given blood in the blood drive in his memory. They are amazing parents who continue on after great loss and we are bless to call them friends.

Tony is the youngest of Rick & Lynne Merk's four sons.  He was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an aggressive pediatric brain cancer, on October 27, 2008 – one month shy of his fourth birthday.  He underwent brain surgery, 31 cranio-spinal radiation treatments, and high-dose chemotherapy.  Tony handled all of this like a superhero.  He made being stuck in the hospital fun – always finding games to play and things to do.  He loved to scare the nurses with his toy snakes, bugs, and spiders.  Tony enjoyed singing and dancing, setting up a carwash to wash his Hot Wheels cars, picnics on the hospital floor, and much more.  We even wrote a song called “My own superhero” about how strong Tony was – and “with God on my side, I don’t have to hide.  I am my own superhero.” 

Tony had a year of clear scans during which he attended pre-school and played with his brothers - treasuring EVERY moment of life and spreading joy to many.  When Tony relapsed in June 2010, his parents had to rely upon clinical trials and unproven treatments as there was no known cure for relapsed medulloblastoma.  Tony passed from this earth on July 4, 2011 at age 6.  Pray~Hope~Believe was the theme for his journey and is now his family's theme for healing.

#TonyBoy #PrayHopeBelieve #tilleryisloved #TILfoundation #alexsmillionmile #GoGold2017

To support childhood cancer research in honor of kids like Tony, make a donation to our team (TIL Foundation) with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. https://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/1314958