Athena Rose: Resilient & Strong

Athena Rose: Resilient & Strong Her name was Athena Rose
Our Half-Blood baby
A mission to spread awareness to

06/30/2026

On days like today that marks 6 years since you went to be with Jesus. I am humbled still by the resilience and strength my daughter had in her fight against cancer.

She went through so much and still made everyone smile and happy to see her with her smile and her laugh.

She definitely enjoyed playing with PT and OT with all the toys and games they had.

Athena, your mommy and daddy still miss you so much! Sometimes the pain of losing you gets buried beneath the surface just to get through the day. But on days like this it’s just under the surface and it gets heavy enough that it bursts out. There are days when I have run from that pain and days when I sit and feel everything, every feeling of joy having you in my life and my arms, every feeling of grief and sadness that I won’t be able to hold you again on this earth. But I know that you are experiencing a peace and a joy that only being in the presence of God can give! My hope is in Jesus and His promise that one day we will be called up to heaven to live with God and be together again in Christ!

I know your mommy and I will see you again in heaven! I pray God gives you a big hug and holds you tight today knowing that it’s from Him, your mommy, and your daddy!

WE LOVE YOU ATHENA! In every language and everywhere and thing we do! We love you 3000!

06/30/2026

You want to know why a part of me will always grieve losing our only child? Just watch this. 💔

This was the last time I saw Athena standing in front of me & heard her say, “I love you,” in person.

I didn’t know it then, but this would become one of the moments I’d replay in my mind for years.

Every “I love you” after this was through FaceTime… right before what was supposed to be a routine port removal procedure that changed our lives forever.

People often ask if the grief ever goes away.

The truth is, I’ve healed in so many ways. I’ve found joy again, found my purpose again, & I smile more than I cry these days.

But healing doesn’t mean I’ve stopped loving her. It doesn’t mean I’ve stopped missing her. It certainly doesn’t mean I’ve moved on.

It simply means I’ve learned how to carry both joy & grief in the same heart.

Losing Athena taught me that the ordinary moments are never ordinary.

Her bedtime routines, her little hands reaching for mine, the endless “Mom!”, her laughs, cuddle time with her, the chaos.

One day, those moments become memories you’d give anything to experience just one more time.

Every June 30th, I climb to the top of a mountain & scream her name into the heavens.

This year, I won’t be standing atop.

But no mountain has ever been high enough to measure a mother’s love.

So today, wherever I am, I’ll still say your name, celebrate your life, thank God for the gift of being your Mommy Clau, & still miss you with every part of my heart.

I love you, Athena.
Until we meet again. 🌹

06/17/2026

June 30th is coming up… 💔

“It’s been six years. Are you gonna get over it?”

NO.

Grief is not something you graduate from.

I don’t wake up every day consumed by it the way I was in the beginning, but it still hurts.

Time has definitely softened some of the sharp edges.

Losing your only child to brain cancer is not something you get over.

It’s something you carry forever.

Six years later, I still wonder who she would be.
I still imagine the milestones.
I still miss her laugh, her voice, her presence.

Every. Single. Day.

Love does not end when a life does.
And neither does missing them.

05/31/2026

As May comes to an end, so does Brain Cancer Awareness Month🎗 & honestly, this month always brings up so many emotions for our family.

For a while, we’ve been quieter on here because behind the scenes, we’ve been walking through the motions of grief for years after losing Athena in 2020. For a long time, we stayed busy, pushed through, & survived the best way we knew how. But last year in 2025, we made the decision to stop avoiding the weight of it all & truly face the loss head-on.

One of the biggest blessings during this season was going through a trauma recovery course designed for military & first responder families in our church. It helped us process emotions we had buried for years & gave us tools to begin healing in ways we didn’t even realize we needed.

Grief changes you. Trauma changes you. But we also believe God meets us in those broken places with grace, comfort, & healing.

We may never fully understand why certain things happen this side of heaven, but we continue to trust that His plans are still good, even when they look different than the life we imagined.

We’re praying for every family carrying loss, trauma, heartbreak, or unanswered questions. May God surround you with the kind of peace that only He can give. 🙏🏼

12/24/2025

Missing you a little extra this Christmas 🤍
Our Athena Rose 🌹

Another year. Another outpouring of love.Another beautiful reminder that Athena Rose’s life continues to shine through e...
12/08/2025

Another year. Another outpouring of love.
Another beautiful reminder that Athena Rose’s life continues to shine through every act of kindness.

Today, my cousin Arem once again led a successful gift-giving activity for the cancer patients at the National Children’s Hospital in the Philippines 🇵🇭 — all in honor of our sweet girl.

And today is her 9th birthday… though she will forever be 3 years old in our arms, our memories, and our hearts. 🥀

Seeing those bags filled with love, hope, and prayers… seeing people come together to bring a moment of comfort to children and families walking the hardest path… it reminds me why we keep doing this…

Because Athena’s story didn’t end.
Her legacy lives on in every smile, every gift, every child reminded that they are resilient and strong! 💯

To everyone who helped, supported, donated, prayed, or simply carried us in love, we thank you.
You’re part of the reason her light keeps reaching others.

For the kids still fighting: you are seen, you are loved, and you are not alone. 🤍

And for our dear Athena Rose… on your 9th birthday in Heaven, Mom & Dad will always make sure your love is felt in this world. 💜🎗️💙

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Colorado Springs, CO

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