Two years after his leukemia battle began at 16 years old, Tsawwassen teen Kyle McConkey has passed away.
McConkey, 18, died of a viral infection Thursday in Vancouver, according to Global News.
Last winter, Kyle and his family started an an online campaign to raise $250,000 for a potentially life-saving experimental treatment at the Seattle Children's Hospital.
In an incredible outpouring of support from around the world, the McConkeys surpassed the fundraising goal and raised over $280,000 in less than a week. At the time, Kyle's dad, Ross McConkey, couldn't fathom the kindness.
The family prepared to get Kyle to Seattle by Christmas for treatment — but a stubborn infection held him back. The family rescheduled for the new year, according to an update on their GoFundMe page.
But it wasn't to be. Earlier this month, after what the McConkeys described as "an up-and-down battle," the infection returned to Kyle's lungs. His family brought him to Canucks Place, where he passed away just three days later.
In one of their final posts, the McConkeys said Kyle still had "a will to fight" his disease — a resilience that his family said rarely faltered throughout his battle.
“He’s a fighter,” Ross said in November. “He could be in a totally different place because of what he’s been through but he’s not, and for that, I’m grateful.”
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