Myles McAdoo was known for his kind demeanor and gentle smile. He is described as a happy kid who was made others laugh.
“More kids have told me Myles was the only one who liked them, or he talked to them through being picking on,” said his mother, Laurel McAdoo. “He loved everybody.”
In 2005, at the age of three, Myles was being treated for brain cancer. He went through a 10-hour surgery to remove a tumor, underwent eight weeks of radiation treatment and then a year of chemotherapy.
Through all that pain he grew into a joyful, fun-loving child. McAdoo was told her son would have some developmental issues and his pituitary gland would be stunted, but besides that he would live a normal, full life.
Then in January, at Myles’ five-year checkup, Laurel would receive devastating news. Myles was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his brain stem.
“We believe the radiation from his previous treatment may have given him the cancer on his brain stem,” said Laurel. “The stem is the body’s computer. Once it goes there, it’s always fatal.”
It was at that point Laurel made a difficult decision. She would not tell 9-year-old Myles or his twin brother Marcel about the diagnosis. She began to focus on making sure the last months of Myles’ life were the best they could be.
“People were pressing me to tell him and it just didn’t feel right,” said McAdoo. “If he had asked I would have told him, but he didn’t. I wanted him to live like he would every other day of this life. He knew he was sick and was getting sicker. He didn’t say anything up until his last breath. I carried that because I didn’t want my children to.”
Laurel’s friend Sherri Townsend put together a fund drive to raise money so the family could do as many fun things possible. About $30,000 was raised and sent the family on a cruise, to Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World.
McAdoo said she was able to give her children positive experiences that she wouldn’t have been able to afford if it wasn’t for the kindness of strangers and help from the community.
“I would like to think that, for Marcel especially, the memories leading up to Myles’ passing are bright and positive,” she said.
On good days, Myles attended school.
“He was the kind of kid that no matter what you were going through could make you laugh,” said Hamagrael Elementary School Principal David Ksanznak.
Teachers and staff in the school were made award of Myles’ situation and worked hard to make life as normal as possible. His classmates were unaware of what little time they had left with their friend. Myles McAdoo passed away on Tuesday, July 24.
“He went quickly and quietly and on his own terms and I’m proud of him for that. I’m proud of how he lived, how he died and the legacy he left on this community,” said McAdoo.
Although Myles was in a wheelchair, he was active up until his last day, going on adventures with his brother. McAdoo said she believes one of his most recent happy days was visiting the town pool in Elm Avenue Park on the Fourth of July. He was able to see a lot of his friends from school and went swimming.
“I think he felt great there because I think he felt normal,” she said.
On Sunday, July 29, the community honored Myles and his memory with a tribute celebration at the Bethlehem YMCA. Everyone worn orange, Myles’ favorite color, and said kind words of remembrance. The Delmar Fire Department presented McAdoo with a firefighter’s helmet, making Myles an honorary member, and balloons were released. About 1,500 people were in attendance.
“Myles would want everyone to be themselves and not to be down,” said Ksanznak. “He would want people to remember the good qualities about him and how to leave this world a better place. That’s the kind of person he was.”
Now to honor her son’s legacy, McAdoo is starting the Myles for Smiles Foundation to help bring a smile to children in need.
“He was the very best of me,” said McAdoo. There was nothing tainted about him, he was very pure and driven. It rang clear who this little boy was.”
