Colin's Room

Colin returned to the cosmos peacefully and gently in the loving embrace of his family on Saturday, March 17, 2018, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. He lived a full and meaningful life that was shaped but not defined by ependymoma, a brain tumor he was diagnosed with at age two.

Colin was a vivacious, imaginative boy who loved Minecraft, animals, and his family. A third grader at Northeast Elementary school in Ithaca, he was considered the “mayor of Northeast” and was beloved by his classmates and staff alike. During the winter, he did adaptive skiing at Greek Peak, where he was able to go downhill on his own, learning to push past seemingly impossible boundaries.

More than five years after his original diagnosis, another tumor appeared in early 2015. During the year, Colin went through two surgeries and tried an investigational immunotherapy treatment before his family discovered that the cancer had returned. They shifted their focus to providing him with the best quality of life possible for as long possible so he could share his sunny smile with his loved ones.

The local community joined A Room to Heal and rallied around Colin and his family, embracing the project to transform his room into a Minecraft wonderland full of the love and creative spirit that Colin himself was known for

Many thanks to...
The friends of the family that donated their time and talents to transform Colin’s room into a Minecraft Extravaganza. Sherwin Williams of Ithaca was a key donor of paints and supplies to color Colin’s world. National Floor Center and Olum’s in Binghamton donated materials, in part, to the specifications of the design team.