Discovering his illness was shocking enough, but learning that the recommended treatment was 54 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation was astounding. Paul could not believe that putting poisonous substances into his body could be the only path back to health. The same treatments would have been prescribed 20 years ago. As Paul and his family uncovered more about childhood cancers and the lack of research funding, the statistics were disheartening; still, never for a second did anyone believe that cancer would take Paul from us.

For two months, Paul bravely battled against Rhabdomyosarcoma—a rare cancer that forms on soft tissue—and he realized other kids were going through similar struggles. Wise beyond his years, Paul aimed to raise awareness for children’s cancers and safer treatments by selling t-shirts. With a personal design inspired by his favorite football team, Paul hoped to sell 100 shirts. Thousands have been sold.

On January 5th, 2016—just shy of his 11th birthday—Paul passed away from this horrible disease. A beautiful life needlessly cut too short. But because of his selflessness, hundreds of thousands of dollars have already been put toward research and new treatments. PaulieStrong believes no child or family should have to endure this kind of pain. With your help, we are working to shine a light on new therapies, safer drugs, and better solutions. Join us as we continue Paul’s vision.