Meet Grayson Stumpf

Grayson Lawrence Stumpf, "Gray", from Issaquah Washington, was diagnosed with DIPG pediatric brain cancer when he was 11, on June 13, 2020. Prior to his diagnosis, Gray was the healthiest child, never sick, and had never even broken a bone. 

Gray was the happiest and brightest in the room, and he had a way about him that made people smile; his laugh was so contagious that it made you laugh. Gray was the boy that the new kids at school were drawn to because he always looked out for everyone else. He cared about animals and nature; he always wanted to have a dog rescue and a family farm. During his journey, Gray became the proud owner of some baby goats, along with his older brother, Stormy, 17, who kept him company as he bravely continued his fight with this disease. When part of the river started drying up in the summer, Gray would get buckets of water and catch the little minnows, pouring them back into the flowing part, rescuing them and giving them a chance at life. 

Gray had a genuine gift of always seeing the good in things and in people. He had a deep understanding of things that most 11 to 12 year olds don’t. Gray was generous with compliments and humble, he was honest, and he loved giving gifts to others and seeing people smile. Although Gray was often the smallest on his soccer or baseball team, you would NEVER know it. He was small, but he was MIGHTY, earning himself the nickname, the Bulldog. Gray would take on the biggest kid like it was easy. He never backed down, just like he never backed down from cancer. He fought DIPG brain cancer with incredible bravery for 377 days. He never asked, “why me?”, he never felt sorry for himself, and he tried hard every single day. As the cancer took Gray’s abilities one by one, he would figure out a new way to do the activities he loved.  Gray made everything about life better, bringing joy and happiness wherever he went and into everything he did. His interests included fishing, cooking (he was an excellent cook, even making his own sushi rolls), art, video games, sports, and animals, specifically seals. Gray was a baseball and soccer player, and he loved watching football with his dad. Grayson loved his family the most.

He had 30 rounds of radiation and was enrolled in the ONC201 trial until it no longer benefitted him. Such is the same story for many families facing this road, Gray's mom, Summer, started reaching out to doctors and other DIPG parents in attempt to find the next best treatment option for Grayson. Summer connected with Lori, Noah's mom, in November 2020, over the potential for Gray to enroll in the trial Noah was on at Duke University. Grayson ended up staying close to home to finish his treatment and spend quality time with his family until God healed him.

You can read more about Gray's story and his foundation at LiveGraysWay



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