Journey 01 · KiKa Run
Every step carried him.
A few months after losing Eden, we stood at the start of the KiKa Run. We were there because of him and with him in our minds and hearts. Because of everything he gifted us. Because of everything we lost. And because his story does not simply end with the day of his departure. So we ran. For Eden. For other children. For other parents. For more research. For more time.
Our little boy
Eden had a way of experiencing life that we are still learning from. He was curious about everything: A stone on the ground, Water running between his fingers, A funny sound. Connection and endless love. The smallest things could make him completely happy.
Even during painful treatments, he kept looking for life. For something to explore, something to laugh about, something to enjoy.
He taught us something that feels more important now than ever: **Life is not something that happens later.** **Life is happening now.**
And love does not disappear when someone is no longer physically beside you. We carry love further and love carries us.
Why we ran
Eden had an extremely rare form of cancer called Melanotic Neuroectodermal Tumor of Infancy — MNTI. Because it is so rare, very little is known about how the disease behaves, why it can return and how it can best be treated.
As his parents, we experienced what that uncertainty means. We searched for answers, for alternative possibilities, we hoped for more time. But sometimes there simply are not enough answers yet.
No family should have to experience the helplessness we did. That is why research matters. And that is why, when the opportunity came to run for KiKa, we knew who we would be running for.
Every step carried him
The Runway Run was emotional in a way that is difficult to put into words. We were not running with Eden beside us. And yet he was everywhere. In our thoughts and in our hearts. In the people who came to support us. In every message. In every donation. In every step.
There was sadness. Of course there was. But there was also an enormous amount of love.
For a moment, it felt as if we were not carrying this pain alone. In that moment of connection, it felt as if the load was less heavy, that others helped carrying it.
People ran with us. People donated. People shared Eden's story. People said his name. And that meant more to us than we can explain.
From love into action
We cannot change what happened to Eden. There are many days when we wish more than anything that we could. But we can decide what we do with the love he left behind.
We can tell his story. We can help create awareness about rare childhood cancers. We can support research. We can take another step.
And perhaps that step can help another child, another mother, another father, another family have something we desperately wanted ourselves: **More possibility.** **More answers.** **More time.**
His story keeps moving
The finish line did not feel like the end. In many ways, it felt like a beginning.
What started as a run in loving memory of our little boy became another way of carrying him forward. Not only through grief. Through love. Through purpose. Through the way we choose to live.
Eden taught us to look closely at the world. To find joy in small things. To meet adversity with love. To live life now.
We still walk with those lessons every day. His little feet are no longer walking beside ours. But his love is. And we will keep carrying it in us.
For Eden. With Eden. One step at a time.Back to all journeys →