Derek
Derek Anthony lived from September 4, 1997 until September 17, 2005. He is the son of Denise and Dante and the brother of Dylan, who donated bone marrow to Derek in April of 2005. Derek battled leukemia for six years. His parents reminisce that he had “always been an inspiration for our family. He gave us strength—first to head straight on into our deepest fears, into the unknown. We turned to his courage for this strength as he accepted all that the doctors had to give. Even more inspiring was how he faced his fears as he went through two relapses.
We drew so much from his courage. Through it all he was our Derek, our son, our brother, our grandson, our classmate, our friend.” His parents recall Derek as “one who was inspired by life. He never wanted to sit around—he was a doer. ‘What are we going to do today, Mommy?’ he would always say. Most of all, he wanted to be with the family. Even when Jesus and his Mother Mary beckoned, he told them, ‘No, wait—I want to be with the family.’ It was so hard for us to tell him to go.” Now that he is gone, “We will have his strength and courage for Dylan, and he will always be with the family.”