05/09/2022
Today is a pretty good day to give…
Today marks 5 years since Cooper passed away from DIPG, an inoperable brain tumor. Riding for Cooper
Cooper Deming was the kind of kid who caught the attention of parents, teachers and everyone he met. He had a sparkle in his eye, and his kind and unassuming demeanor instantly put others at ease. Cooper loved and excelled at sports of all kinds, especially baseball. He played it with incredible joy, passion and devotion and looked forward to the day he would wear the baseball uniform for the North High School Vikings. He loved the Colorado Rockies, the color purple, bacon cheeseburgers, camping and making s'mores. He hated fruit. And naps. And sitting still. He was soft-spoken and generous, and filled with joy. He loved life and really made the most of every day. He never slept later than 7am – he had too much to do. He was a dedicated friend, and a patient, protective and mischievous big brother to Calvin and Helen.
June 2, 2016, was no ordinary day for Cooper. It was the last day of school and the day before his 12th birthday. He was full of anticipation—of summer fun and new freedoms like spending days at the pool and riding around the neighborhood with his buddies. And of all the sports he would play.
But, while trying out for a new soccer team, he didn’t play as well as usual due to a sudden sensation of double vision. He worried he wouldn’t make the team.
Next up was a baseball game, where he struggled and missed a few easy fly balls. We figured he was tired, or maybe he needed glasses. We didn’t worry. The next day, his birthday, he and 10 of his friends gathered on the front porch after school and we took them all to the pool, spending the rest of the day and night swimming and eating burgers. It was a great day. It was also the last day of normalcy.
The next morning was the start of a long odyssey that included weeks of visits to eye doctors, family physicians and ophthalmologists. And worsening double vision. It was unnerving and uncertain. We had no idea what we were dealing with until an MRI showed the unthinkable—a brain tumor with a type and location that ruled out both biopsy and removal… read more of Cooper’s story here: http://support.childrenscoloradofoundation.org/goto/Wheels22
