Sean's Fund - Sean's Story





Serving the Santa Clarita Valley and Children's Hospital Los Angeles

		Sean's Story
		Sean was a typical 12 year old boy, but, of course, he was not typical to us. He was bright and thoughtful, sweet and stubborn, young yet old for his years. He had a look in his eyes that said; "I love you with all my heart". He had a nod that said, "I know where you're coming from." He had a tilt of his eyebrows that said, "Are you sure that's the best you can do?" He was a natural leader, and looked to his future; At 12 he had his college career all planned out. He was brave and he was frightened. He was very good at showing us the former. He was almost as good at hiding the latter.
		Sean went his own way. He liked vegetables, but was not that fond of ice cream. He loved sharing Sushi with his family (or at least most of them - Dad is not a big sushi fan!). He liked lobster but he was not too crazy about candy. Sean enjoyed hanging out with his friends whether they were playing chess (as many of them do), shooting hoops, or tossing a football. He loved playing flag football. Sean was a true sports fan. He loved Duke Basketball, Georgia Football, Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, March Madness, and especially the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a walking Sports Center fact encyclopedia. He played video games and was way better at it than we were.
		He and many of his friends grew up playing chess together. he started at age 2. He excelled at it, had a room full of trophies taller than he was. He captured the title of 2005 Western States 6th Grade Champion. Only days after being diagnosed with Leukemia Sean led the Meadows Elementary School to 2nd Place at the Nationals in Nashville, Tennessee. He was not about to let his team down. He was their Captain. When he won, he rarely cracked a smile. He just reached across the table and shook hands with his opponent. He never surrendered. He played an adult Grand Master who offered him a draw. Sean surveyed the board, looked up, and said, " I don't think so"
		That sort of determination was seen throughout his life. We saw it in the way he played chess, in the way he focused on his work at Meadows Elementary School and in the way he fought this relentless illness. He was just a little boy who loved his family, liked to play with his friends, and liked Sponge Bob on T. V. Sean was just shy of 13 years old when his light was extinguished by a disease that had no mercy for the pain of a young boy. He died of Leukemia on August 14th 2006, We miss him more than words can begin to describe.