story
Brooke's
The Brooke Healey Foundation exists in honor of 5-year-old Brooke Healey, daughter of Steve and Stefani, who was diagnosed with DIPG, an inoperable, very aggressive tumor in the middle of the brain stem (the Pons), on January 14, 2013. She passed away on September 9, 2013.
Most people who met Brooke never forgot her. One of those reasons was her extra-long hair. She generously decided to cut it short and donate it to Locks of Love in honor of her Aunt Caryn just before her diagnosis.
Cutting her hair was a decision that Brooke made on her own, which is another reason people don’t forget her- she had a unique personality.
For one of her birthdays, she went to American Girl in NYC, where she carefully scrutinized the brunch menu, because that was obviously the most important part of the day. Picking out the doll was just an added bonus.
Not that Brooke wasn’t at the same time your typical 4 year-old girl. She loved princesses, and dressed up like Rapunzel on her family trip to Disney World April of 2012. For Halloween she was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.
Brooke loved to eat healthy food- especially fruit!- and her favorite dessert was cupcakes. Every year on Christmas Eve she went to get a cupcake and get her nails done with her mommy. As she was quite the family girl, she also enjoyed going to wrestling practice with her daddy.
She is adored by her older brother Ashton and always laughed affectionately at her little sister Bryn. Her brother Seamus was born after Brooke passed. His middle name is in her honor. She loved having sleepovers with her cousin Rose, and she thought her baby cousin Catie was such a doll.
Brooke was an adorable, loving, smart, funny girl. She was such a joy and blessing for her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and entire extended family, as well as her many friends. She truly was a special person and we faithfully believe in her.
