On October 27th, 2023, Archer, a fun-loving, precious and precocious five-year-old boy was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pons Glioma, an extremely rare and aggressive tumor of the brain stem.  Over the course of three weeks, he went from being a high-energy, sports-loving, always-ready with a joke and a prank little boy to one who struggled with balance, struggled to swallow and speak and perform basic functions.

 

The Hill family was rocked to its core with the gravity of his diagnosis and immediately started researching treatment options looking for any glimmer of hope for their sweet little boy.  Archer underwent a brain biopsy to get more information on the pathology of his tumor and then began a course of palliative radiation in hopes of shrinking the tumor and slowing regrowth.  Archer responded well to radiation and began to regain some of the functionality he lost.  He worked so hard to walk again and get stronger physically, but DIPG is an aggressive and relentless monster despite the Hill family's attempt to quickly research and enroll in a clinical trial to try to hold the tumor at bay...their battle was cut short.  Archer fought very hard to stay in the world he loved until the very end but was called home to heaven on April 2, 2024.

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Since his passing, his mom, dad, and big brothers have committed themselves to living like Archer, finding joy through their grief and sharing his story of courage and his love for Jesus with as many people as possible.