Our family reached another milestone last week. Our littlest, Landon, turned 20 months old. In other words, he reached the age that would be our Olivia’s last.

Olivia lived for exactly 20 months and 3 days on this earth before she passed away on 10/22/13 from brain cancer. As of today, Landon is 20 months and 9 days old.

Olivia is still very much present in our family. Her memory is always here. Even Landon can point to her picture and say “sissy.” But what is truly heartbreaking is that we don’t get to know what she would’ve been like past 20 months old. We don’t get to see her as a 4 year old, bossing everyone around and exhibiting fierce independence. We don’t know if she would prefer dress up and tea parties or gymnastics and jumping on the trampoline with her brothers.

Brain cancer stole her from us. It stole her presence, her memory, her future. The picture above is one of the last I have of Olivia. It was taken the morning before we would find out there was nothing more to be done. This was literally just a week before she would die in our arms.

This picture here is of our Landon. 20 months old and thriving. 

I am so grateful for his health. For the fact that his life is about making memories with his family that have nothing to do with hospital stays and chemo. But my heart breaks every day because his sister should be here to join us.

Olivia Caldwell Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit that raises money for pediatric cancer research. You can learn more and donate by visiting www.oliviacaldwellfoundation.org.