On a Sunday morning in early June 2022, Reed woke up and seemed not to be feeling quite himself. He did not eat much for breakfast, but was otherwise his happy, playful self. We left the house to go pick strawberries with some friends, but never made it to the farm. He vomited in the car, and we turned around, assuming he had some sort of virus. We visited an urgent care that evening because he was still vomiting, and they gave him some medicine to stop the nausea. His vitals and exam were normal at that stage. The next day, he began having headaches that would not go away with any over-the-counter medicines, and his condition continued to deteriorate. We ended up back at urgent care, where his vital signs had plummeted, and were sent by ambulance to Children’s National Hospital. By the time we arrived at the hospital, he had lost movement in his left arm. Reed had COVID-19 in late May 2022, so the doctors initially thought he was having a COVID stroke, but the CT scan revealed a lemon-sized tumor in his brain. He had surgery less than 12 hours later to remove the mass, and the pathology report confirmed it was an aggressive, high-grade tumor. 

Reed navigated three long years of treatment with endless joy and optimism. He loved books and spent hours at Children’s National Hospital and Sibley Memorial Hospital listening to his favorite stories. He also became a big brother 8 months after his diagnosis, and adored his little brother, Graham. 

Reed’s tumor recurred in August 2023, December 2024, and again in June 2025. He entered hospice care in July 2025 because there were no additional treatment options we could pursue with the extent of his disease. 

Reed passed away peacefully at home on August 15, 2025, after a courageous battle. We will remember and honor Reed and the lasting joy he shared with all.

“We hope that Reed’s story will help drive innovations in pediatric brain tumor research so that, in the near future, when a child is diagnosed with an aggressive tumor, the doctors will be able to say: ‘We know exactly how to treat this. Your child will have a long, healthy life.'"

-Ruth, one of Reed’s moms