Heartbreaking: 7-Year-Old Trenton O'Brien Has Died

EAST HAVEN, CT — Trenton O'Brien, the 7-year-old who courageously battled a brain tumor for many months, passed away "in the comfort of his father’s arms" Friday, Jess O'Brien wrote on GoFundMe.

Patch wrote about Trenton just after Christmas. The Momauguin Elementary School student was found last summer to have an inoperable cancerous tumor on his brain stem, known as a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma or DIPG. There is currently no effective treatment and no chance of survival.

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I share that after a hard-fought battle with DIPG, Trenton succumbed to his illness early this morning in the comfort of his father’s arms.Trenton’s battle with DIPG was nothing short of heroic. At 7 years old, he battled DIPG for exactly 204 days," Jess wrote.

GoFundMe

Jess wrote that Trenton's parents, "Tim and Marissa, courageously fought along with Trenton every moment of those 204 days. They did everything they could to make absolutely certain he had everything he could ever want or need, uncertain of where this road would take them."

The 'Hope For Trenton' GoFundMe was created in June to help ensure that Tim O'Brien could be "by his son's side and help him through his treatments."

His father Tim "hasn't been to work on a full time basis since June when Trenton was diagnosed, and thanks to everyone's incredible generosity and help, it allowed for him to spend what time he had left with his son. But that lack of income has Trenton's parents worried about how to afford proper funeral arrangements before their sweet boy becomes their guardian angel."

There was an outpouring of love and support for the boy and his family.

East Haven Public Schools asked faculty, staff, and students to wear yellow and donate $1 as a show of support on Jan, 2. That day, the town — from firehouses to schools, town hall to local businesses —came together to raise money and awareness about the disease and help support the O'Brien family.

The mayor had declared Jan. 2, 2020 Trenton Day in East Haven.

GoFundMe

"Trenton’s life and subsequent battle has touched many lives and has brought a lot of attention to the horrible cancer that is DIPG. The unwavering love and support from family members, friends, colleagues and even strangers have made it possible for Trenton and his family to fight the courageous battle they did."

An aggressive tumor that progresses very quickly, he endured arduous treatments: he was fitted with a pinpoint radiation mask, a procedure where he had a saturated, thick fishnet-like-plastic sheet draped over his face, while it was still wet, and bolted it to the table he laid upon. He had to lay there for 10 minutes for it to dry and mold custom to his face. A MRI was taken of his brain while the masked cured, so that a 3D map could be made. This map allows for the radiation to be focused onto specific small areas and concentrated levels, Jess explained in an update.

"He handled it like a champ and he's very excited to take his custom mask home at the end of radiation, so he and his dad can customize his mask into a new superhero costume."

Trenton then underwent a seven-days-a-week, five week radiation treatment.

And he just kept fighting.

In early August, a silent auction and pasta dinner fundraiser was held. By the middle of the month, his radiation treatments were done and Marissa O'Brien said that while, "We're all excited this parts over, no one more than Trenton, but radiation being over doesn't mean he's cancer free, unfortunately. The radiation will hopefully shrink the tumor to buy more time."

It was at once a hopeful and tragic update.

But by mid September, the family learned that the "radiation had not shrunk the tumor, but seemingly slowed it's growth."

"Please continue to send your positive thoughts, prayers and love to Trenton and his family. No one should ever have to go through this," Jess had written on GoFundMe.

It was a few months before the latest update. And when it came, it was devastating. Trenton had gone to a routine oncologist appointment and it was learned that the tumor had grown rapidly. There was little that could be done.

On Christmas Eve, he went home and had been on hospice and was "declining rapidly." Trenton developed right-side paralysis. In a previous update on his condition, it was written that the family had to prepare for his passing, and to find a way to pay for his funeral: "Trenton's family were lucky and happy to have had him home for one last Christmas, but his time is very limited and Trenton's family are now faced with what will be a large bill for funeral arrangements," Jess wrote.

And Trenton kept on fighting.

GoFundMe

The family has been striving to raise awareness about pediatric cancers and especially, DIPG.

"Please continue to share the story of Trenton’s fight with DIPG, because the only way to fight these cancers is through funding and education. It is unacceptable that any cancer have such a low survival rate in this day and age, especially one that takes such precious lives away from us so soon," Jess wrote in the GoFundMe update sharing the tragic news.

The Michael Mosier Foundation; Defeat DIPG says that while "medical advances in the past 40 years have greatly improved the survival rates for children diagnosed with most types of cancer ...these medical advances have done nothing for children with DIPG."

The Institute of Cancer Research in London reports though that clinical trails will begin in 2021 on a potential drug that "targets a genetic weakness in an untreatable childhood brain cancer could become the first ever treatment designed to target the disease."

There's always hope.

But for now, for the O'Brien family, there are needs: for privacy and respect through their grieving and funding to help them.

The GoFundMe had as of Friday morning raised $42,000 but that number was climbing as it was shared that the beloved child had died.

GoFundMe

"Since the day I met Trenton, I always knew there was something so special about him. His sweet smile and spirited personality always guaranteed a smile from anyone that came in contact with him. Everyone I’ve ever spoken to about Trenton immediately smiles. He touched so many lives during his short time with us, and that will never ever be forgotten," Jess wrote on GoFundMe.

She said that funeral arrangements will be provided at the convenience of the family.

"For those wanting to reach out to Trenton’s family, please allow them time to process and be together. They know how much everyone loved and cared for Trenton and thank you all for the outpouring of love and condolences," she wrote.

GoFundMe

Rest in peace, brave, beautiful boy.

GoFundMe is a Patch partner.