Meet Demetrius

Demetrius was diagnosed at the age of 2 1/2 with an ependymoma brain tumor. An ependymoma brain tumor is a malignant primary brain tumor. Treatment for this is very complex. Demetrius recovered from his first surgery surprising the doctors and began attending Montessori School at Holy Rosary in Cleveland, Ohio at age 3. He also started playing the piano. His tumor returned at age 7 and he was granted a wish of a piano. Demetrius was making progress when the tumor returned a third time at age 12 and he wanted a second wish of a train ride with his family from Tampa to Orlando with a stop in Atlanta to visit his great-grandmother one last time. He would have had to fly a portion of the trip as his health was failing. The trip would be costly and the family reached out to other “wish granting organizations” across the country; all of whom could not assist because he had been granted a wish from another organization.

Demetrius died at age 12 with his second wish unfulfilled. A Second Wish By Demetrius was established because of Demetrius’ unfulfilled wish. 

His classmates wrote and published a book, Remembering “D”, in 2009 to share his story with the world.