Smiles for Cole

On January 20th 2012, our loving, joyful five year old son and brother Cole died from Neuroblastoma Cancer.

Cole was a boy who had a passion for life. He was determined to squeeze as much happiness and laughter into each day as possible. Cole loved to play all sports, baseball, soccer, football, hockey, and basketball; he was a naturally gifted athlete. He would sink basket after basket without effort, hit the baseball a mile and he had a strong accurate arm. Cole truly enjoyed life and especially the outdoors. Sometimes while the other children were playing he would just lay down in the grass or snow, put his hands behind his head and just stare up at the sky, we can only wonder what such a young boy could have been pondering as he looked upwards. He had a depth and insight into life that most adults will never acquire. He idolized his big sister Tara and wanted to do everything she enjoyed; his taste in music, his pleasure in painting and crafts, his thirst for learning all came from his love and adoration for her. He was inseparable from his identical twin brother Troy. They did everything together from the moment they woke each morning. They would sit together on the same chair at the kitchen table for breakfast then play together with their fire trucks, Legos, and Matchbox cars. When it was time to go out and play they rode their bikes together, dug in the dirt together, and sometimes fought together, always ending their little scuffles with a hug and an “I'm sorry.” Cole was life, Cole was love, Cole was laughter.

That is a little bit of who Cole was, but to us he is still our hero. He is the driving force behind our desire to increase Childhood Cancer Awareness, Funding, and Research and he continues to bring joy to people when they need a reminder to "Smile, Be Happy"