10 Nov 2008, Posted by Chris Kaufman in Culture, 4 Comments

Brenden Foster’s Last Wish

Someday, when it’s my time to depart from this world I hope I will have the same strength and positive attitude that Brenden Foster has about his last week or so of life. He really is an inspiration to us all. The video and article below from KOMO says it all about this courageous little guy.

From KOMO News Seattle:

LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Doctors gave 11-year-old Brenden Foster two weeks to live.

Those two weeks were up on Wednesday. On Friday, he shared his last wish.

Not yet a teenager, Brenden’s time to die has come.

“I should be gone in a week or so,” he said.

Brenden was the kid who ran the fastest, climbed the highest and dreamed of becoming a marine photographer. Leukemia took away all those things, but not his dying wish to help others.

“He’s always thought about others. Never complained about having to go through this, ever,” said his mother, Wendy Foster.

When Brenden was first diagnosed with leukemia, he and his mom began a new tradition. Every night they list three positive things that happened during the day, and they have to share a laugh. A chuckle will do, Brenden said, but a fake laugh will never do.

In the last days of his life, it was a homeless camp, namely Nickelsville, that captured the boy’s heart.

“I was coming back from one of my clinic appoints and I saw this big thing of homeless people, and then I thought I should just get them something,” he said.

Brenden is too ill to leave his bed and feed the homeless. He walked into an emergency room last December and hasn’t walked since.

But Brenden’s wish will not go unfulfilled. A group planned to gather in his honor on Friday night to make sandwiches and deliver them to the homeless.

“We’re making 200 sandwiches — half ham and cheese, and half peanut butter and jelly. He didn’t want them all to be peanut butter and jelly in case somebody was allergic to peanut butter,” said Jennifer Morrison, one of the participants.

“They’re probably starving, so give them a chance,” said Brenden.

Brenden, surrounded by love and wise beyond his years, urges others to follow their dreams.

“Mine already came true,” he said.

Brenden has relapsed for the last time. There is no chemo, no more transfusions; just comfort medications.

“It’s devastating, but I find great peace in knowing we’ve had our time together and that we will see each other again,” said Wendy.

Brenden has one more wish for the afterlife: become an angel who accomplishes even more in heaven than he did on Earth.

“I had a great time and until my time has come, I’m gonna keep having a good time,” he said.

Don’t cry for Brenden. He doesn’t want leukemia to claim any more tears.