Braxton Weidman’s obituary was shared by his father.
Braxton Weidman, 9, had been battling an extremely rare and vicious form of brain cancer known as Glioma Cerebri for 17 months.
In 2022, his battle with cancer came to an end and he died at home surrounded by his family.
He studied in fourth grade at Greystone Elementary School. He loved exploring the outdoors, telling jokes, being with his family and friends, and playing baseball.
He is survived by his parents, Brandie and Chris Weidman, a sister, Lyla, and a brother, Cason.
The family greeted friends from 9-10am Saturday, February 5, 2022 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 6690 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham, AL 35242, followed by A Celebration of Life for Braxton at 10am.
Burial took place at Southern Heritage Cemetery in Pelham, Alabama.
According to a Facebook post from Braxton’s father, Braxton was at home surrounded by family and friends with all the comforts of home and his favorite stuffed animal, “Chubby puppy.”
His father refused to use the word “lost” because Braxton lost his life, but he believed that everyone who knew Braxton and his battle with the disease had won.
He thought they had gained a new perspective on life and realized how fragile people are.
He recognized that humans are fragile creatures, despite what people see on TV of athletes or soldiers.
Braxton’s story was tragic but beautiful, and it taught people that life can be fleeting and that the things people sometimes value are often worthless.
His father stated that their lives were forever changed and that they had a huge hole in their hearts that could never be filled.
The first night after Braxton’s passing, Braxton’s father slept peacefully like a baby because he knew Braxton wouldn’t want him to live in pain and hatred.
He believed that Braxton’s light empowered the world beyond the hatred and pain they felt, and he knew that Braxton would be proud of his family if they continued to help other children suffering from the same condition.
He recognized that there would be more families with no answers, losing their babies faster than Braxton and missing out on their children’s lives.
He believed that they, as a family, had a duty to help these families and prevent this condition from having more children.
Braxton’s father expressed his gratitude for all the messages and calls they received, and their support was overwhelming.
He didn’t like the words “funeral” And “cancer” and believed the word “about” not applicable to Braxton’s life.
He hoped people wouldn’t think they were being melodramatic, but unless people saw what they saw and the lack of resources to save a child, they would be horrified.
He asked everyone to celebrate Braxton’s life on Saturday and support BraxHQ and the causes they’ve been educating themselves on over the past year and a half to help prevent this condition from happening to more children.
Finally, he stated that this affliction was a corruption of humanity and that it had to end in the next 40 years, which was probably all the time he and Braxton’s mother had left behind.
