12-Year-Old Middle Schooler Loses Fight with Cancer

Joey Sudo, of Whitehall in Broadneck, died Monday after four years of fighting brain cancer. 

Sudo, 12, was diagnosed at age 7 with a rare form of pediatric brain cancer. He's been fighting ever since. On Monday, he died in his sleep while at his home in Broadneck, according to The Capital.

The sixth-grader was the star during the past few years that has hosted a . More than $280,000 has been donated to cancer research as a result of Sudo serving as a rallying point for local fundraising efforts.

After being diagnosed at age 7 with Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT), Sudo underwent chemo and radiation therapy, in addition to a stem cell transplant. He remained cancer-free for two years before it returned.

While undergoing treatment, Sudo remained active in his community, attending some classes at , then Severn River Middle School, and playing soccer in Cape St. Claire. 

According to The Capital, Sudo was able to return to his cherished bedroom, after spending weeks away at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN.

Visiting hours for Sudo will be at Barranco & Sons, P.A. Severna Park Funeral Home on Saturday from 7-9 p.m. and Sunday from 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Andrew By the Bay Catholic Church in Annapolis.