Elena Desserich

When I read this, I welled-up because I could never, ever, ever imagine having to bury a child. I used to work in a Hospice unit and saw many adults die, even young adults, but never a child. The people who work with children who will die are strong and their parents are even stronger. 6-year-old, Elena Desserich, was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer. She had cancer and it slowly to her ability to speak, but not to write. So, write is what she did. She wrote notes and left them for the parents and younger sister she would leave behind. “They told us ... Read Full Story

Five year old Elena Desserich [ article link] was diagnosed with brain cancer. She lived each remaining day she had on this earth rejoicing in life by learning to drive at age 5, swim with dolphins and a multitude of other things. As her cancer progressed, it inhibited her to the point she could no longer speak. So, she started drawing and painting. In fact, one of her paintings were hung in the Cincinnati Art Museum entitled, "I Love You." Elena died from her disease in August of 2007 at 6 years of age. What her parents found in the following weeks and months ... Read Full Story

This is truely a wonderful story. Please take the time to watch and listen to this video.   When 6-year-old Elena Desserich was diagnosed with brain cancer, she began hiding hundreds of little love notes around the house for her parents to find after she was gone. Here’s the story: Just before her sixth birthday, Elena Desserich (right) was diagnosed with brain cancer and given 135 days to live. She lived 255 days, passing away in 2007. After her death, Elena’s parents, Brooke and Keith, found hundreds of notes from Elena hidden around the house — in between CD cases, between bookshelves, in dresser ... Read Full Story

Five year old Elena Desserich [ article link] was diagnosed with brain cancer. She lived each remaining day she had on this earth rejoicing in life by learning to drive at age 5, swim with dolphins and a multitude of other things. As her cancer progressed, it inhibited her to the point she could no longer speak. So, she started drawing and painting. In fact, one of her paintings were hung in the Cincinnati Art Museum entitled, "I Love You." Elena died from her disease in August of 2007 at 6 years of age. What her parents found in the following weeks and months ... Read Full Story

Notes Left Behind is a heartbreaking, loving compilation of drawings and notes written by six-year-old Elena Desserich to her family during her struggle to fight a rare form of pediatric brain cancer. Elena secretly hid the messages around her home for her family to find after she was gone. When Elena was diagnosed her parents were told that she had only 135 days to live. They wanted to create a remembrance book for Elena's younger sister, Gracie. The pages of Notes Left Behind are filled with candid photos and excerpts from their journal entries along with Elena's handwritten love notes to her family. Elena ... Read Full Story