Inspirational Framingham boy passes away after courageous battle with brain cancer

BOSTON (WHDH) - A 6-year-old Framingham boy who spent months courageously battling a rare form of brain cancer died Friday morning with his family by his side, his mother said in a post on social media.

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“With a beyond shattered heart and soul, I write this post to tell you that our little super hero lost his very courageous battle,” Christine Suau wrote. “Today is the worst day of our lives.”

Devin Suau was diagnosed with a brain cancer known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in Jan. 2017.

Suau said her son was ineligible for clinical trials in the United States. As a result, he and his family traveled to London for treatment every four weeks.

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Devin’s family started the hashtag #WhyNotDevin to raise awareness for his form of cancer, which has no cure. The hashtag went viral after it was shared online and he has since received support from all around the world.

He captured hearts across the nation, including Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who rode in the Super Bowl parade alongside him in February.

“I was lucky to be in that boat with him,” Brady said on Friday. “I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of brave, courageous people over the years.”

Devin was sworn in as Framingham police chief for a day, he led the Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade and drew attention from many others in recent months.

“He was a young man with a big heart,” Chief Kenneth Ferguson said. “He was an inspiration to me.”

Suau asked everyone for continued prayers for her family.  Devin would have turned 7 on Oct. 27. In September, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh declared Oct. 27 as Devin Suau Day.

“Today we lost one of our finest, Devin Suau. Devin captured the hearts of many, including mine. Keep the people in heaven safe, my friend,” Walsh said.

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Counselors will be on hand to assists teachers and students in Framigham moving forward.

“Our hearts go out to the Suau family. Devin touched so many people and his life made a difference. Sadly, he lost this battle, but in his fight he informed the world of this horrible disease.
Thank you Chief Devin for sharing your time, your smile and your humor with us,” the Framingham Police Department said in a statement.

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