Like any five-year-old, Augusto “Auggie” Grant had big dreams. He wanted to be an astronaut, a superhero and a ninja warrior named Sherman. He loved music, costumes he called “uniforms”, and he lived with a heart as big as his imagination.
“From the very beginning, Auggie consumed the room,” his dad Jon remembers. One favorite memory: Auggie putting on full firefighter gear before a trip to the car shop, “in case they have a fire!”“From the moment he woke up to the moment sleep took over, Auggie did not stop,” his mom Cheryl recalls.
Even as cancer was unknowingly spreading through his blood, Auggie was eager to be outside, running faster than a cheetah.
A Life Cut Short
In 2011, Auggie was diagnosed with acute monoblastic leukemia. Just five days later, he passed away at the age of five, on December 5. Cheryl reflects, “A five-minute blood test was all we needed to find out he was very sick, and that he had been really sick for a while.”
“I tell people about Auggie because I want to share him. That way, I can keep him alive just a little longer.,” Jon adds. “He certainly deserves to be remembered. He was a force.”
Turning Grief Into Purpose
When it came time to write Auggie’s obituary, Cheryl thought about the immense love and support her family had always received. She wanted to channel that energy into something meaningful.
“I tried to think of what to do with all the love that he would inspire. What would be a significant contribution that our friends and family could make to better the outcomes for children like Auggie? I called his oncologist’s office and asked for their recommendations. And that was my first introduction to CureSearch.”
Cheryl quickly learned that CureSearch was funding research for all childhood cancers – not just one type – and focusing on projects that were fast-tracked to the clinic, because kids can’t wait.
In Auggie’s obituary, she asked for donations in lieu of flowers and the response was overwhelming. “My sweet boy, who could not sit still in life, was up and running to make sure that children like him have a better opportunity to beat cancer.”
Auggie’s Honey Badgers
After losing Auggie, Jon and Cheryl joined CureSearch and Ultimate Hike to continue raising funds and awareness for safer, more effective treatments.
“The Ultimate Hike experience has been transformative for me,” Jon shares. “Because of my involvement, my grief over Auggie has evolved. I feel much more part of a family than just a team.”
Their team, Auggie’s Honey Badgers (named for his favorite fierce animal), hikes every year to honor his memory and fight for children still battling cancer.
“I want to be as fast as a cheetah and as ferocious as a crocodile and a honey badger put together.” – Auggie Grant
Why Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Matters
Auggie’s parents carry his lessons forward. They say Auggie taught them that sometimes you should just jump in, not only with hope, but with jubilant ferocity. Cheryl adds, “And it only takes five minutes to set up a recurring donation in his memory. Those five minutes could mean a lifetime for another child.”
This September, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we share Auggie’s story not only to remember him but also to remind us of the urgency. Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by diseases in children. Too many families know the pain of losing a child to cancer and too few safe and effective treatments exist today.
How You Can Help
You can make a difference. However you take action, you are helping create a future where children like Auggie have more than dreams – they have the chance to live them.
