05/17/2026
Losing Michael is not one event that only happened 11 years ago on May 17, 2015. It’s also not just a moment that we re-experience each year on May 17. Losing a child is a loss that we feel again and again, every single day.
It’s the loss of those small family moments that only your immediate family really understands. It’s the absence of another set of footsteps storming around our home. It’s the baseball equipment that sits untouched. It’s the empty place next to Lila where a big brother, best friend, and protector should be. It’s the missing of an infinite number of milestones and memories.
Our little boy was one-of-a-kind, and nothing can fill the Michael-sized hole in our hearts. We have boundless sorrow for what he endured and the life that he does not get to live. To gloss over the death of our son or make it more palatable to others by saying that “time heals” would ignore the fierce, unending love we feel for him. It would also diminish the suffering that he endured at the hands of the cruel disease – DIPG – that stole so much from him.
So, I tell you the truth: our hearts are forever broken. We will grieve just as deeply for Michael every day until our last breaths.
Thank you to everyone who takes time to remember Michael today, and all throughout the year. By talking about him, you keep his memory alive and help us know we are not alone. Our little boy loved to be the center of attention, so I can promise you that anytime his name is spoken, or you take time to think of him when you see yellow, Michael is giving you his signature big wide smile.
As we continue the fight to cure DIPG, it is our hope that Michael, and all of the brave children who have fought this disease, inspire you to keep standing by our side. While we can’t bring him back, we can dream that one day there will be many children who have overcome DIPG. And we can tell them the story of a little boy who was silly and smart and determined to always complete his “to do list” . . . who would absolutely love to finally check off “Defeat DIPG.”
We miss you and love you more than anything, forever and always, our precious Michael.
— Jenny Mosier, ChadTough Defeat DIPG co-founder & Michael's mom
