You'll never walk alone - walk on, with hope in your heart.
On Sunday, November 8, at 8:40 in the morning, our beloved Nolan passed. This is just a glimpse, for words cannot capture all that he was.
Doctors told us, week in and week out, that Nolan was a rare case. The cancer was rare, his incredible response and strong will were rare, that he stayed as long as he did was rare. What the doctors didn't know was that Nolan has a rare spirit. As Nolan would say, he was “built different."
He didn’t lose his fight with cancer, he was too tough for that. He called it a draw when he was ready to leave, on his own time.
Nolan Thomas O’Brien was born February 1, 2015, in the dry heat of Tucson, Arizona. He spent his formative years in the midwestern wilds of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he could indulge in ice cream no matter the temperature outside, before putting down roots in Cherry Hill, NJ, where he built friendships that will last forever.
He loved life. He loved the Shore: Wildwood and Manasquan. He loved Grandmom, Mainey, Grandpop, and Pop Pop. He loved dancing. He loved soccer, root beer and Cheetos. He loved Philadelphia sports and LeBron. He and his closest friends, the Avenging Idiots, were caught up in D&D. He was a master of GIFs and fluent in a trendy speak that confused his elders.
Nolan was just so dang funny and silly, and he had FOMO from the day he was born. Ask how he felt or how things were going, and he’d say, “Good enuf.” When he was ready for you to leave the hospital, he’d wave. And right up until the very end, there was his never-ending thumbs up.
Nolan had big dreams, and he always had a plan. He wanted to grow up to be a professional sports player. Mostly a lover of soccer he became more invested in basketball toward the end of his life. Sports were a huge part of who he was. Ask him any soccer trivia about the premier league and he nailed it.
His favorite soccer club was Liverpool FC. The team’s pre-match anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, is sung by all Reds fans before every game played at Anfield. Nolan was never alone, whether family by his side or friends in his heart. He cared deeply for the ones he loved.
The same kid who was so dang funny thought about everyone but himself. Over the last two months from his bed in CHOP’s PICU, Nolan worked diligently on his Christmas list. We couldn’t tell you what he wanted this year (other than NOT legos) because his name wasn’t anywhere on the list. This list was full of gift ideas for his mom and dad, for his best friends, for his loving cousins (with each he had a truly special relationship), his aunts and uncles, his grandparents, his neighbors, and most importantly, his little brother who he adored. Nolan was so loved and had a knack for bringing everyone together.
Nolan was so proud of Harry, and he took his role as big brother seriously. Deodorant was on his list for Harry - he wanted to make sure Harry was taken care of and not embarrassed as he grew up. Nolan volunteered to walk the younger kids at school to the bus, we think to keep an eye on his rambunctious little brother.
Even though all brothers can get on each other’s nerves, and these two did, they were inseparable and always will be. Nolan watched many of Harry’s games from the hospital. And on Sunday afternoon, with Nolan watching from a different angle, Harry scored the game-winning goal. He told us it was Nolan who kicked it (with Harry's left foot).
It wasn’t just Harry who meant something to Nolan. We all meant something to him. If we were laughing, he was laughing. If we were happy, he was happy.
Despite the challenges life forced in his path, Nolan didn’t let them slow him down. In one trip around the sun he became a savvy world traveler. He danced through the night under the Golden Gate Bridge. He met his idol, Lionel Messi, in Miami. He took a dream trip to Disney World. When it was time for his once-in-a-lifetime adventure to Ireland and England, walking was difficult for him. Nolan went anyway.
We say Nolan was fighting, but he spent these last twelve months living. Even in the ICU, he was still Nolan. He would rather have someone read him Harry Potter than watch endless loops of TV. After a bout of seizures, the first thing he asked for was the Eagles score. When the Avenging Idiots sent a video, just kids being kids telling their buddy they missed him, he watched it over and over. If you asked, he wouldn’t say he was loving life. He would say, “Good enuf,” give you a thumbs up, and wave to you so he could get some rest.
He loved life so much.
Nolan always had a plan, and a plan needs time. In the hospital he had plans for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, for his twelfth birthday. He checked the time constantly, asking on the whiteboard or signaling, even when we had told him fifteen minutes earlier.
Back then we wondered if he knew something we didn’t, and worried he was counting down the days. Today, we think he was making sure there was still time for all of it: for the family who came to visit, for his friends who called, for his Christmas shopping. He knew every minute was precious, and he wanted all of them with the people he loved.
We have all asked, why him? Why us? Why our community?
There is no answer. This wasn’t a fair fight, and it should never have been his to face. But he had the strength to face it, and to face it again when the cancer returned. He did it without complaint, rarely with tears, always with a smile. With all of us beside him, he never walked alone, and it never beat him.
Nolan was rare, built different, and too good for this world.
He left on his own time, but he’ll always be with us. His rare spirit lives on, and with him by our side, we’ll never walk alone.
Now walk on, walk on
With hope, in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
Nolan, it is time to rest. We cannot wait to see you again.
Nolan is survived by his brother, Harry (age 8); his parents, Jean and Brian O’Brien; his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and many, many cousins. He was predeceased by his great-grandparents.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Nolan’s name to the CERN Foundation
Please join us this Saturday, November 14, to share your funniest Nolan stories, compete in a kickball tournament, and celebrate Nolan and how much he loved life and us all. Covered Bridge Swim Club, Saturday, November 14 | 11 AM - 2 PM
