From left, Eli, 8, Brian and Gay Valimont laugh as they talk before leaving the house to take Brian to physical therapy and Eli to radiation on Friday, April 30, 2021. The Valimonts' lives have changed drastically over the past year — Brian was diagnosed with ALS in August of 2020 and a few months later, Eli was diagnosed with DIPG, an incurable brain tumor that begins in the brain stem. Despite the grief and stress, Gay cherishes every moment she has with her family. "Take every moment and love each other," she said.
Gay helps Eli put on his shoes while Daisy, the family beagle, supervises at their home in North Naples on Friday, April 30, 2021. Eli, who loves scary movies and apple juice and can switch from an off-color joke to a tender moment in the blink of an eye, says that his parents are funny and awesome. “They work very hard for me.”
Gay helps Brian with his feeding tube at their home in North Naples on Friday, April 30, 2021. Brian is an engineer, and after a week of grieving his diagnosis with Gay he dealt with it like he would any other problem – he researched. "That's how (I) deal with each day, a series of obstacles I have to overcome to accomplish the goals for that day," wrote Brian, who is no longer able to speak but is able to type.
Gay and Brian laugh while Eli sings along to his favorite Bruno Mars song from the back seat while on the way to Brian’s physical therapy appointment in North Naples on Friday, April 30, 2021. The Valimonts' garage houses a Porsche Carrera and a classic VW Beetle painted bright orange, but after Brian and Eli both started using wheelchairs the family transitioned to a more accessible vehicle. "I never thought I'd be a minivan person," said Gay.
Gay and Eli kiss through their masks as they sit in the waiting room of GenesisCare where Eli receives daily radiation treatments in North Naples on Friday, April 30, 2021. “For me to tell you that I’m sad — there aren’t words to describe it,” Gay said. “But I know that as long as Eli is alive and that Brian is alive that I’ll do my best to make sure that their quality of life and their treatment, everything they need, they will have. But I cannot see a life past that.”
Eli lies still under a blanket before the start of his radiation treatment at GenesisCare in North Naples on Friday, April 30, 2021. A playlist of Eli's favorite pop music, including artists like Taylor Swift, plays over the speakers during his treatment, occasionally interspersed with gentle reminders to stay still from radiation therapist Kayla Gilbert.
Eli does the limbo with the help of his teacher Christy Duda during a party held for him at his home in North Naples on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Friends, neighbors, and school district employees gathered to celebrate Eli with the help of a DJ and a food truck serving one of his favorite foods, grilled cheese. “We’ve had an outpouring of people helping us,” Gay said.
Eli and Brian hold hands during a party held for Eli at their home in North Naples on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. “I don’t think I’ve fully dealt with my son’s terminal diagnosis,” Brian wrote. “When Gay and I have a moment to ponder, we just bawl.”
Pinwheels blow in the breeze as they surround a sign showing support for Eli and Brian placed on the lawn of one of the Valimonts' neighbors in North Naples on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. The signs have cropped up in yards all around Palm River Estates, from the neighborhood's entrance all the way to the Valimonts' street.
Brian looks up at Gay as they hug at their home in North Naples on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. "I think the night I met Gay my soul recognized hers," Brian wrote. “She is strong beyond her own recognition. She’s beautiful and funny, and I still have more fun with her than any of my other friends. She’s the great love of my life.”
A framed picture from the day Eli was born sits on the table at the Valimonts' home in North Naples on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. Gay and Brian were told they had a 1-3% chance of conceiving and didn't expect to get pregnant. The feeling of holding Eli in their arms for the first time was "amazing," Gay said.
Gay looks at a photo from the day Eli was born as she sits at the kitchen table at her home in North Naples on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.
Gay transfers Eli from his wheelchair to his bed at their home in North Naples on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. “I hope she finds peace. Wherever that is. Whatever form that takes. I hope that it finally comes to her,” Brian wrote. “Eli and I will be waiting for her.”
Eli died on September 15, 2021. He was nine years old. Brian died seven months later on April 8, 2022. He was 45.