Obituary of Bryan Carroll

Carroll, Bryan Elijah – age 7, of Dartmouth, NS, passed away Tuesday, November 10th at home in his mother’s arms, peacefully and with ease, in the presence of people who loved him. Bryan was born May 16th, 2008, son of Sean Carroll and Marsha Stephens, little brother to Abby. Bryan was a student at Brookhouse Elementary, a school he absolutely loved. He was a boy full of energy and always tried to make others laugh, usually with the mention of bodily functions and/or talk of body parts. He was a happy boy, even through a difficult illness. When Bryan was a little boy, his interest was strictly vehicles, and we have spent hours watching garbage trucks, construction projects, and trains. As a big boy, Bryan’s interests evolved to Pokemon, Lego, Star Wars, and Minecraft. When Bryan was just 5 ½, he began to experience symptoms, especially pain, that he endured for 5 months until an emergency nosebleed forced a diagnosis to occur. Medical professionals: Please make yourself aware of the symptoms of leukemia and cancer so that the next child will not have to suffer 5 months, or any time, of terrible pain. Bryan was diagnosed with a rarish form of leukemia in May of 2014, and so began the insane world of having a child with cancer. Bryan went through, even breezed through, 5 months of chemotherapy and was sent home, only to “relapse” 5 months later. In this time, Bryan and his family were given the opportunity to go to Montreal to see a Canadiens game, where he and Abby enjoyed swimming in the pool and the room service in the evenings. In April 2015, against his will, Bryan returned to the hospital to undergo further treatments. This time there was no remission. After a round of chemotherapy, Bryan and his family were encouraged to go and enjoy his Wish trip to Disney World. Words cannot express the joy and fun times that were had in Disney with his sister Abby, cousins, Kimmy, and parents. Our deepest thanks to the Children’s Wish Foundation, for making this trip happen, exactly one month after it was cancelled due to the relapse of leukemia. The day after our trip, Bryan returned once again to the hospital. When it did not work, and no further options were available, Bryan went home and was able to enjoy 3 months of incredibly good energy, once we managed to make the pain go away (one of our miracles). Bryan enjoyed renting an RV, spending hours outside, going to the beach weekly, meeting NHL stars, and running around making loads of noise in our neighbourhood. During this time, an amazing bunch of people got together and transformed Bryan and Abby’s backyard into an “oasis”. And it was the place to be! Several kids mentioned wanting to move into our home after that. Unfortunately, Bryan began to feel unwell in early October. It is beyond difficult to watch your child fade, to lose weight, to lose interest in the outdoors and in his toys. Thankfully, we managed to keep Bryan from experiencing the horrendous pain that can go hand in hand with leukemia. Good people assisted us in obtaining the cannabis oils that were so beneficial. This plant is true medicine and the resulting healing to Bryan’s brain function and increased creativity and verbal ability, along with the Blessed pain control was another miracle for us. Please do your part to provide this incredible plant to all children who are suffering, in its pure, whole plant form. Bryan is survived by his mother, father, and sister, Uncle Paul Carroll ( Aunt Lori), Auntie Kim Carroll, cousins Julia and Matthew Carroll, his maternal Grandparents Al and Chella Stephens, Aunt Anne Stephens (Kevin Devoe), Uncle Mark Stephens (Aunt Lisa) and cousins Mikey and Libby Stephens. As well we must mention his pets, Casey and Batcat, integral parts of Bryan’s life. Bryan will be missed deeply by his best friend Sam R, as well as his buddies Joe H, Eli V, Liam A and Greg B. You would have to know Bryan to understand how strong he was throughout this experience with cancer; on Halloween, with his hemoglobin being around 30, Bryan wanted to dress up and go trick or treating. And he did dress up as a character from Star Wars! We are so proud of, and amazed by, our boy. Bryan was predeceased by his grandparents Peter and Lorraine Carroll and his Aunt Janet Stephens. A funeral will be held on Monday, November 16th, 2015 at 12pm at the Woodlawn United Church, officiated by Rev. Phillip Kennedy. Cremation will have taken place and a burial will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Children’s Wish Foundation. We request that you wear blue to Bryan’s funeral, his favourite colour, and/or Star Wars, Lego or Minecraft clothing. Special thanks to the VON nurses who came into our home for 4 months. To Buddington the Clown, who made us all laugh, and who Bryan would allow to sing a variety of musical compositions. Also to the IWK 6th floor medical team, especially Carol Spicer, who always listened and tried to accommodate our (unusual?) requests in Bryan’s best interests. You have made this journey easier. “In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! We are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory. Farewell!” From J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings On-line condolences may be made by visiting www.serenitylindsayfuneralhome.ca