I am doing this for my nephew Vincent, whi will always be a true Jedi.

Vincent was a brave, fun-loving and caring brother to his sister Emily and his brother Will. Vincent LOVED anything Star Wars. He enjoyed playing Legos, video games and watching movies. He was always excited to go to Disneyland with his family. His mom, Keren would take him and his siblings to the park with their dogs every day. His dad, Chad would take Vincent to help out with shopping for groceries every week. 

Keren started to notice that Vincent was acting a little strange, losing control of his eye movements and complaining of no feeling in the left side of his body. She decided to take him to the emergency room. The hospital gave Vincent an MRI and a few hours later he was immediately moved to a Children’s Hospital where they were told that Vincent had a brain tumor, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). After learning that the Cancer was moving fast and that radiation would do little to nothing to help, Chad and Keren decided to take Vincent home to spend time with his family than go through agonizing treatments that would do little to prolong his life. 

On July 11, 2016 Vincent lost his battle. DIPG is one of the worst childhood cancers. There is a 0% survival rate. It impacts a child’s ability to communicate, move, eat and in the end stages their ability to breathe while the child is fully aware of what is happening. Chad, Keren, Emily and Will along with family and close friends were all by Vincent’s side helping him fight until the end. 

The worst thing in the world is to lose a child. It is the deepest pain a parent can face. The Beukema family has made it their mission to get the word out about DIPG by volunteering with childhood cancer organizations. The pain is immobilizing some days but the strength of their family help each other make it through. Vincent was a gift to all who knew him. He will always be remembered and never forgotten. #vincentthejedi #foreverten

I'm participating in The Lemon Climb Denver and raising money to help Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation move one step closer to finding cures for all children with cancer! Thanks for your support!